Three days had passed since Taeseong started working at the tea house.
In those three days, a rumor had spread throughout Ha-hyeon County.
The rumor was that a handsome young man had joined Sunny First House.
Regardless of the truth behind the rumor, it was enough to pique the curiosity of the elders.
Perhaps that was why.
Even though it was a busy season, the elders diligently visited the First House.
“Goodness, what is all this?”
“Hey, Chansung. When did this all change?”
The elders who came to the tea house were initially surprised by the semi-bar structure.
It made sense, considering it had been a quiet, traditional tea house until just yesterday, only to have its appearance transformed overnight into something resembling a strange bar.
I kept the explanation brief.
“I just wanted to change the atmosphere for a bit.”
Sometimes, a simple answer works better than a long-winded explanation.
As expected, the elders made a few comments but did not pry further. If the owner wanted to change it, what could they say?
Thanks to the change, they could enjoy a unique atmosphere, so it wasn’t a bad thing from their perspective.
“Taeseong, could you help guide these two people?”
“Oh, just a moment. Ah, hello, elders. I’ll guide you this way.”
As the elders were adjusting to the changed atmosphere of the house, Taeseong went over and guided them to their seats.
Upon seeing the part-timer from the rumors, the elders blinked in surprise before eventually breaking into satisfied smiles.
“My, where did such a handsome young man come from?”
“Haha, thank you.”
“Young man, do you have a girlfriend? If not, why don’t you meet my granddaughter?”
“Oh, stop being so silly. Your granddaughter is still an elementary school student.”
“Hey, where else would she meet such a handsome young man? I have to claim him now.”
“Hahaha, thank you for the kind words. But an elementary student is a bit…”
A student is a bit…
“Hohoho, we’re being a bit silly. Please understand.”
The elders were all friendly toward Taeseong.
Then and now, people tended to be kind to beautiful things.
Hyun-woong and Uncle Dusik threw in a few grumbles of complaint when they saw it, but what could they do?
This was reality.
I busily prepared tea to serve to the elders, while Taeseong served and kept them company.
Perhaps because of the affection he received from the elders, Taeseong, who was stiff at first, gradually treated them with more natural ease.
He was acting like the man I knew — kind yet bold.
“Here, Taeseong. Acacia flower tea. Drink up.”
“Oh, thanks.”
I prepared a cup of acacia flower tea and handed it to Taeseong.
Taeseong drank so much tea it was almost sickening. One might expect him to refuse, but he didn’t reject it at all and drank every drop.
Stating it like this makes me sound like a bad person, but in truth, Taeseong was the one who kept asking me to make it.
His reason was that he wanted to keep drinking acacia flower tea while he still could.
‘Thanks to that, I could keep accumulating the effects of the tea.’
The acacia flower tea I made for Taeseong was ordinary at first.
However, starting from the second cup, I altered the recipe slightly.
I brewed the tea by blending a few additional ingredients, and the effect was simple.
‘Self-esteem enhancement. And throat protection.’
Acacia flower tea originally possessed properties that protected the throat.
I maximized those effects and went further to strengthen his confidence and self-esteem.
Despite that.
“Taeseong.”
“Yeah?”
“Want to sing a song?”
“Uh… next time.”
Taeseong’s eyes kept drifting toward the microphone.
However, he still couldn’t bring himself to sing in front of people.
Taeseong’s voice from three days ago had been truly incredible, but…
It seemed he hadn’t yet been able to fully lay down the burden remaining in his heart.
‘I can’t do that for him.’
Wounds of the heart must be healed by the individual.
All I could do was wait.
Fortunately, the wait wasn’t long.
“Chansung, we’re here.”
“Taeseong, did this jerk Chansung bully you? If he makes you work too much, don’t hesitate to report him to the Labor Office.”
“Haha… I’m doing very well. Thanks for worrying.”
“…Seo Hyeonseo, turn around and go home.”
It wasn’t even Kabuki makeup.
Her face was so white… what on earth was that?
If Hyun-woong dressed bizarrely, she did her makeup bizarrely.
To exaggerate a little, it was makeup that could cool even a 1,000-year love.
Hyeonseo, who ignored my words, approached Taeseong and started grinning.
Taeseong simply smiled back at her behavior.
‘He’s a pro, a real pro.’
‘He must have an incredibly broad mind. Or he needs to visit an eye clinic.’
‘Why?’
‘How can he look at that face and smile without swearing? I couldn’t do it.’
‘Well… I’ll agree to some extent.’
I hadn’t sworn, but I had tried to stop her from doing it.
But the thing was.
“You’re not any different, you know.”
“What?”
“Never mind. If you don’t know, forget it.”
I felt sorry for Uncle Sanghyun.
Should I give up on these two getting married in this lifetime?
The two, who had been noisy since they arrived, eventually took a seat in a corner of the tea house.
Then, sitting across from each other, they began to discuss the main event of the harvest festival.
It was the so-called “Ha-hyeon Singing Contest.”
It was a singing contest segment modeled after the National Singing Contest.
It might have been a bit lacking for a main event, but the Hyeon siblings had recruited Taeseong, the rising idol of Ha-hyeon County, for it.
“The stage will be set up like this.”
“The costume will be a sophisticated style while still feeling approachable, and the styling will go like this. You’ll have to wear a little makeup, is that okay?”
“Yeah, that’s fine.”
“That’s a relief.”
“I think it would be good to trim your hair once. I’m going to bring in a good stylist soon, so let’s get it done then.”
Watching them talk, they really exuded the aura of professionals.
Who would think of them as farmers working in the fields?
Perhaps due to the aura of those two, Taeseong, who sat between them, also looked serious.
‘He’s a great guy.’
When I first brought this up, I had asked Taeseong.
I told him he didn’t have to do it if it was too burdensome.
I said he could just help out a little until the harvest festival and rest comfortably before leaving.
However, contrary to my concerns, Taeseong had spoken with a tone full of conviction.
“I’ll do it.”
It was a sign of Taeseong’s strong will.
A strong will to no longer be bound by the past.
He still found it difficult to sing, but seeing that determination, it was only a matter of time.
The Hyeon siblings, who had been in a business meeting with Taeseong for a while, organized the necessary details and stood up from their seats.
“Then, once the stage is set up next time, come and see it.”
“We’ll need to fit the costume once, too, so give us some time if you can.”
“I understand. I’ll help with whatever I can.”
“Okay. Chansung, we’re leaving.”
“Right, keep up the hard work.”
“Yeah.”
The Hyeon siblings, who had arrived like a storm, left like a storm.
They were like natural disasters.
“Good job. Here, today’s dessert. It’s a cotton candy burrito. It’s ice cream wrapped in cotton candy, give it a try.”
“You make things like this, too?”
“I was craving something sweet.”
Taeseong took a bite of the dessert and smiled contentedly.
“It’s delicious.”
“Right? When you have a lot on your mind, sweet things are the best.”
“Ah, could you tell?”
“Yeah.”
Taeseong took another scoop of ice cream and gave a bittersweet smile.
“Seeing them work so hard makes me feel like I have to sing no matter what, but at the same time, I’m worried.”
“Worried you won’t be able to sing?”
“…Yes.”
“Don’t worry about that.”
I took a large bite of the cotton candy and ice cream.
It was sweetness upon sweetness, but the difference in texture was quite fun.
Feeling the flavor melt away, I spoke to Taeseong.
“You’ll be able to sing.”
“You sound so certain.”
“Of course.”
I was sincerely certain.
“You will definitely sing.”
I hadn’t told Taeseong, but I had prepared insurance upon insurance upon insurance.
There was no future where Taeseong could not sing.
“…It’s a baseless statement, but I somehow find myself believing you.”
“Right?”
“I can see why Hyun-woong and Hyeonseo trust and follow you.”
“…They follow me? Those colts?”
“Colts. Puhahaha!”
Taeseong burst into laughter at the word “colt.”
I wasn’t sure if it was something to laugh that hard about.
It was an established academic theory that those two were like colts off their leashes.
There was no other way to explain that kind of craziness.
After laughing for a long while, Taeseong wiped his eyes and spoke.
“You’re real friends, aren’t you?”
“Are there fake friends, too?”
“Well… aren’t there people who just act like friends?”
“I’m sure there are. But those are just bugs wearing the masks of friends, not actual friends.”
I had let go of those who were true friends in my past life.
And only the bugs wearing the masks of friends remained, until eventually, nothing was left.
I was someone who knew that all too well.
Taeseong gave a bittersweet smile at my cold words.
“That’s true.”
“And Taeseong.”
“Yeah?”
“You’re my friend, too.”
Taeseong blinked at my words.
It seemed the realization hadn’t quite hit him.
“How long has it even been since we met?”
“Well, our shared memories might be short. But it’s true that a bond of friendship has formed, and I think it’s precious.”
It wasn’t that the length of time spent together wasn’t important.
However, what was more important was the feeling one got from that person.
“Even if you don’t think of me as a friend, I’ll consider you one. I already do.”
Because I knew what kind of person Hwang Taeseong was.
Because I felt he was a steadfast, loyal, and upright adult.
I wanted to see Taeseong as a friend for a long time.
Perhaps my sincerity reached him, because Taeseong blinked his eyes before eventually smiling brightly.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. Ah, since we’re done talking, go bring those cups over there. And do the dishes, and tidy up the warehouse, too.”
“…You’re working me as soon as I say thank you?”
“That’s that, and this is this.”
I was the owner, after all.
Still, I would pay him a good wage, so he should work hard.
***
That night.
Norani and Naru went back home with Taeseong.
Taeseong had a small doubt about me staying alone, but he didn’t voice it.
He probably thought there was a reason for it.
I was grateful for that.
*Ding-ling.*
“Welcome.”
“It’s been a while, Owner Chansung.”
The one who visited the First House after everyone had left and the door was closed was Yuae.
As soon as she entered, Yuae took off her hood and looked at me with her white eyes.
For some reason, her usual pale aura seemed a bit weaker than usual.
“Did something happen? You look low on energy.”
“As expected, you notice it.”
“What do you mean ‘as expected’?”
“It means the other spirits don’t know. That’s how minor a change it is. Let’s talk about this next time. That’s not my business today.”
Yuae walked slowly and sat down.
Then, she took some small blades of grass out of her pocket and set them down.
“It’s the grass you were looking for, Owner Chansung.”
“Thanks. The grass stored in the tea house is all refined, so I couldn’t use it the way I wanted.”
“Do you not know why it’s refined?”
“I know.”
The grass Yuae brought was Throat-Choking Grass.
If it even slightly touches the tongue, the tongue becomes paralyzed and the vocal cords stiffen.
It leads to a state where you cannot speak even if you want to, and this is just a very mild symptom.
If the symptoms manifest properly, one can die from being unable to breathe.
“…For safety reasons, your grandfather refined it before use. He made it so it must be used that way.”
“I suppose he did.”
“To use it in an unrefined state, you must have the confidence that you can definitely remove that danger.”
“I know.”
“And you have that confidence?”
“Yeah.”
The acacia flower tea that Taeseong was drinking.
To achieve the effect I wanted from the recipes utilizing it, I needed unrefined Throat-Choking Grass.
I brought over a sterilized empty bottle and placed the Throat-Choking Grass inside.
“No one will die from this grass, and no one will be harmed.”
“That confidence must be your ability, Owner Chansung.”
“It’s not something to praise me that much for.”
“I’m only stating the truth.”
Yuae said that and stared at me blankly.
Was there something on my face?
“Next time, please ask for something you actually need for yourself. Instead of asking for things to help others.”
“Uh… I’ll try.”
“Sigh, you really are…”
Yuae narrowed her eyes and added one more thing.
“If you do it again, I won’t just stand by.”
“What if you don’t just stand by?”
Yuae smiled like the moon and said.
“Should I make you sleep for a whole month?”
“…I’m sorry.”
“As long as you understand.”
Yuae, pulling her hood back up, headed for the door.
It felt like she was leaving as soon as she arrived.
“Won’t you stay for a cup of tea?”
“I have things to do, Owner Chansung.”
“Yeah?”
“I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but you’ll do well. I believe in you.”
Leaving those words behind, Yuae vanished into the Spirit Realm.
My, oh my.
“I feel pressured now.”
Since I had heard those words, I couldn’t fail.
Since the insurance was ready, all that was left was for Taeseong to go from being the tea house bachelor to the son of the village.