A few days later, in WH Entertainment’s conference room.
【My Baby’s Real Part-Time Job Experience!】
The moment we sat down, Lee Jihyun shoved a PPT onto the beam projector screen.
“...What is this?”
An idol doing a part-time job video... wasn’t that too cliché?
“Is this really good content? Haven’t we done part-time jobs before?”
“Well, ordinary idols don’t usually work at fish markets, so... it won’t overlap. And it’s the kind of side the fans want to see.”
Not exactly wrong. I leaned back in my chair, letting her keep going.
Clicking to the next slide, Jihyun continued,
“I admit my personal taste influences my planning. The Dawn hasn’t really filmed many typical self-produced shows. I’m reflecting on that.”
“...Uh-huh.”
She clapped once, pulling the members’ attention, then explained. In short, the idea was to film a café-themed self-produced “part-time job” content.
“Me, me, me! I really wanna do it!!”
The first to shout in favor was Jung Dajun. After the hellish year-end stages, he would’ve happily played a balloon mascot outside a barbecue joint if it meant escaping.
“Then let’s split the roles.”
By random draw, two would handle the “store” (working in the WH building’s café) and three would do “deliveries” (bringing drinks to staff).
Before I could even unfold my paper slip, Kim Sunghyun peeked at mine.
“Ah, Seo Hoyun’s at the café.”
Then he checked the others—Sung Jiwon, Kang Ichae, Dajun—and palmed his forehead.
“...Fine. I’ll volunteer for café duty too.”
Guess none of the others looked remotely suited for café work.
I thought filming would be scheduled later, but Jihyun clearly wasn’t letting the rare free day slip by. She shoved us into white shirts and half-wrap aprons and rolled the cameras.
“You ever worked part-time before?”
“No.”
“...Great.”
I had done cram school tutoring, but in this world there was no record of it. Not knowing that, Sunghyun shook his head and shoved me toward the register.
While I got a crash course on the POS system, Sunghyun learned drink prep from the café manager. He picked it up instantly, clearly no stranger to café work.
“Opening time!”
Jihyun announced after briefing even the delivery team.
Once the curtain came down, WH staff swarmed in. I greeted them and took orders, when off to the side, Sung Jiwon, Dajun, and Ichae started whispering.
Sure enough, Dajun strutted up with his chin lifted and queued up like a real customer.
“...Yes, sir. Can I take your order?”
“Oh, me—! Eh?! I only have a thousand won, wait a sec!!”
Rummaging through his pockets, Dajun then ran back to Sung Jiwon whining, returned with crumpled bills, and announced,
“I-I’ll take a hot ice americano! A hot iced one!”
“Do you know what ‘ice americano’ means?”
“A hot and cold americano!!”
“...Do you even speak Korean?”
“Quick, quick! Give me a steaming hot iced one!”
Seeing the tantrum mode activate, I signaled Sunghyun. He prepped the shot, poured it into a cup of water and ice, and slid it to me.
I scrawled “HOT” on the corner of the cup and handed it over.
“Hoyun-hyung, what’s the point of writing HOT if there’s ice floating in it?!”
“You’re hot, that’s why it says that.”
“Ugh...!”
About to throw a fit, he backed down, secretly pleased.
Next up was Sung Jiwon. When I gestured at him to order, he smiled reflexively.
“Uh... one vanilla latte without vanilla syrup—”
“Okay, one latte.”
“—and your number. Haha.”
“Jiwon, I’m gonna get mad.”
“Ah, sorry...”
I scribbled my number sloppily on the receipt and tossed it. His face brightened immediately, showing it off to Sunghyun, who looked unimpressed.
‘Two down.’
That left Kang Ichae, leaning against the wall with an unimpressed look. He sauntered over, smirking.
“Oho, nice café.”
He grinned slyly.
“Then, I’ll have a white mocha shake base, half the java chips blended, half whole on top, five pumps mocha syrup, three hazelnut—no, wait, four—ah, scratch that, three pumps hazelnut, my taste changed recently.”
“...Payment method?”
“Card.”
He pulled out a cartoon coin purse Dajun forced him to buy in Japan and slid out a card.
I was about to pass the order to Sunghyun when—
“Order up: white mocha—”
“Ehh~.”
Ichae leaned halfway across the counter and grabbed my arm.
“I want you to make it, not the big bro back there~.”
“You can’t pick who makes your drink.”
“Hoyun-hyung, you should know how hard your own orders are.”
This brat. Grinding my teeth, I trudged to the machine.
“Seriously, what are you even doing?” Sunghyun sighed as I fumbled with the portafilter.
“Showing my humanity.”
“Right...”
Somehow, with 90% of Sunghyun’s help, I finished. When I tried to top it with whipped cream, it exploded, splattering all over me.
“Here’s your drink.”
Bang!
Santa Claus-faced, I slammed the cup down. Ichae, laughing with Dajun, just said,
“Hyung, you drink it.”
“...What?”
“My life’s bitter, so even an americano tastes sweet.”
So my life’s cotton candy pink, huh?
I downed the lukewarm iced coffee, while he casually walked off with a steaming americano Sunghyun had made.
Grinding my teeth, I forced myself to remember this was filming.
Then—
“Hello, what are you filming? Oh, Seo Hoyun-ssi?”
The familiar voice was Chae Jungwoo.
“What are you doing here?”
“Part-time job.”
“Part-time?”
He chuckled. Just ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) then, Sunghyun whipped off rubber gloves and bowed ninety degrees. Soon, more Black Call members appeared: Jeon Saeyoung, Lee Beomhyeon, Lee Hanju.
Even WH staff gave them a wide berth as if a barrier had formed.
“Uh... what about Joo Woosung-sunbaenim?”
Sunghyun, Joo Woosung’s devoted fan, asked carefully.
“Practice room. Once he locks himself in, he doesn’t come out,” Saeyoung answered.
Before the mood could sour, Jungwoo raised his phone.
“...What are you doing?”
“Fancam.”
Now?
I only frowned slightly. Meanwhile, Saeyoung stroked his chin, studying the menu.
“Handsome hyung, what’s good here? Recommend me something.”
“Bottled water’s the specialty.”
“Haha, funny.”
The staff gathered tighter, and I prayed they’d all just order the same drink. Instead, Saeyoung, Beomhyeon, and Hanju each ordered something complicated.
Only Jungwoo was decent:
“I’ll just have a hot chamomile tea.”
“...Alright. That’ll be—”
“By the way, when do you finish? Want a drink after?”
“I’m never clocking out.”
They all burst out laughing.
Then Jungwoo whispered to Hanju. Hanju’s eyes lit up, and he draped an arm over Saeyoung.
“If you pick who’s the most handsome among us, that person pays!”
This was hell.
Before I could think of a way out, Beomhyeon blurted,
“Hey, don’t. That could put Seo Hoyun-ssi in a tough spot.”
Finally, someone with sense—
“...How about who he respects most?”
—Never mind.
“Yeah, that’s perfect!”
“Agreed!”
Sunghyun sat right next to me grinning, enjoying the show.
“Come on, Hoyun. Pick.”
Four cards lined up in front of me. I waved my hand vaguely, then snatched one at random.
“Woo~~!”
“Yeeaaah!!”
It was Beomhyeon’s. His face flushed red as the others cheered.
“So Hoyun respects Beomhyeon the most~.”
“Seo Hoyun-ssi, I had no idea...”
Even Jungwoo chimed in.
I wanted to cut all four cards in half.
But keeping things quiet was the only way out.
“Yes, please wait—”
I tried to wrap it up, but—
“Wait!!!”
Bang!
Someone burst through the crowd, slamming onto the counter, panting.
“Haah... haah...”
It was Joo Woosung, hair tousled from dance practice.
“They tried to drink syrup-loaded crap without me...”
...Did he just swear?
As the others laughed, Woosung shoved Beomhyeon’s card aside, pulled his own from his wallet, and shoved it at me.
Then, locking eyes, he enunciated every word:
“You know whose card you’re supposed to take, right?”
...Fuck. Can’t I just pay with mine?
