There are days in life when you wake up in the morning and feel like crap from the moment you open your eyes. Today was one of those days for Ui-jae.

We all have those days when we wake up and think, 'I shouldn't be so lucky...' You wake up to the sound of sparrows and the warmth of the sunshine. The kind of day where you roll out of bed as soon as you wake up and cry at the front door because you bought new shoes and forgot to tie your shoelaces, even though you're already running late. The day you fall backwards and break your nose.

Cha Ui-jae hadn't felt such an ominous premonition in a long time. He took out his cell phone and called his AI assistant.

"Nexby, search for today's horoscope."

-Search for today's horoscope.

His AI assistant began to recite Cha Ui-jae's horoscope in a flat voice.

-Even a falling leaf can hurt you, so you must be careful and cautious in everything you do. There are dangers around every corner that threaten you. Don't take anything for granted, and check carefully.

"Is this a horoscope or a murder warning?"

Contrary to Ui-jae's desire to lighten the mood, Nexby continued to deliver a chilling horoscope.

-You'd better be careful and keep a low profile today, there's a chance of a sweet encounter in the afternoon, so why don't you go out for a while?

It's a long story, but to sum it up in one line: "Your horoscope is crap today.

On days when my S-rank intuition and divination were spot on, I usually got away with it. This is going to be a wild day. I'll have to be careful. .... Ui-jae stood up, stretched and made a mental note to himself.

But there was something Ui-jae had overlooked... No matter how careful and prepared you are, fate will always find you.

Like the disastrous arrival of Lee Sa-young at the shop today!

"Hello, Hyung."

The deep, relaxed voice was familiar. Maybe it was because the first meeting with him had been so intense.

Ui-jae stiffened and held the teapot. He didn't want to believe his ears, but there was no way that his S-rank hearing couldn't have recognized the man. Besides, the physical sight matched the image in his mind perfectly.

A gas masked figure, one head taller than the others, stood stiffly with his hands in his pockets and looked in this direction.

"I received Hyung's letter."

"......."

"Yes.... You're wearing a different apron today."

"......."

"It looks good on you."

The eyes that met through the lenses of the gas mask were as excited as a cat with a toy in front of it.

It wasn't just Ui-jae who was shocked by Sa-young's arrival. The moment the man in the gas mask opened the door and walked in. As if the whole shop had been cursed with a slowdown, everyone's heads slowly turned towards the door.

And then, as if someone had hit the pause button, everyone's faces went cold. The hunters were known for their assertiveness, but for this moment, they were silent.

Why did you come out...?

Then someone spoke like a sigh.

"Shit..."

'Why did you suddenly come to a shabby place?

'Is he the type to eat outside? Doesn't he ever eat outside? Isn't he the one who never shows up in crowded places?

'Yes, he eats outside sometimes, but why is he here!

Is your life a bit boring? Why did you come to such a shabby place? There are many other expensive and good restaurants.

If an electronic thermometer could measure the temperature of the hunters' burning eyes, it would have been well over 100 degrees. If you held a pot of water in the air, it would have boiled over and melted the pot.

And in the middle of it all was Cha Ui-jae, who was more horrified than anyone else, but managed to keep a straight face.

[Trait Pokerface (B) is active].

Fortunately, he had a trait that helped him control his facial expressions. He was never more grateful than he was today. Leaving the expression management to the trait, he quickly scanned his surroundings to find the source of the problem. And just in time, a figure caught his eye....

"T, that table over there... Shall we sit down? Haha."

It was Bae Won-woo who came into the shop when the Haejang-guk was almost over. He looked around with a face that had done something irreversible, like a man who spilled malatang on a white carpet. As soon as Bae Won-woo appeared, the hunters' piercing eyes went straight to him.

For the hunters, it was as if a poisonous meteorite had fallen into the restaurant where they were having a good meal!

He walked straight to the center of the Haejang-guk, ignoring the hunters glaring at him and Bae Won-woo's bitter face. There was a hunter in the middle of the restaurant who had just finished eating three bowls of Haejang-guk and got up from his seat, and when he backed away with a yelp, Lee Sa-young sat down as if it was his reserved seat.

Ui-jae, furrowing his brow at the appearance of a lunatic who deserved to be thrown out with a ladle, said.

"Sir, I haven't cleared the table yet, so if you want to sit somewhere else, you can..."

"No."

Lee Sa-young replied nonchalantly, crossing his long legs and folding his hands in his lap.

"Please take your time, I like this seat, I can see the TV."

"Oh yeah..."

I don't want you watching that little brown tube TV.

The customer is king," he reminded himself and calmed down. If there was a scuffle, he wouldn't be surprised if the whole street was blown up, let alone the shop.

To show displeasure here would be to dig one's own grave and open the coffin. Moreover, a part-time worker at Haejang-guk House who knows Lee Sa-young is suspicious from the start!

Cha Ui-jae had no choice but to clear the table where Lee Sa-young was sitting and took out a pen and a bill from his apron pocket. Lee Sa-young, who was staring at him, asked innocently.

"Do you have a menu here?"

Bae Won-woo looked at him frustrated. I told you before you came in, you bastard. There's only one dish, haejang-guk....

Ui-jae replied briefly.

"Haejang-guk."

"Is that all you have?"

"Yes. Just haejang-guk."

"Hey man, I told you they only sell one kind of soup here."

The smaller Bae Won-woo interjected as if to stop him, but Sa-young looked around the shop and continued.

"Is one haejang-guk enough for you?"

"Yes."

"Oh, you also sell gonggeotbap and soju, but that's not a meal."

"If you want to complain about side dishes, please leave."

"Oh, ahaha, we'll just have two bowls of haejang-guk, please."

Bae Won-woo interrupted, his voice a little louder than before. Ui-jae took a deep breath and swiped a 2 across the bill. He stared at Bae Won-woo for three seconds without saying a word.

Bae Won-woo. A regular customer with a sign in the shop. He came in almost every day for lunch and dinner and was one of the regulars who emptied at least three pots every time he came in. He didn't want to blame anyone for the gas mask and the unwelcome reunion, but for a moment he wanted to point the arrow at him.

Feeling Ui-jae's icy gaze, Bae Won-woo quickly looked away and focused on the table. He swallowed the cold water unnecessarily.

Think of me as a regular.

Ui-jae went to the kitchen and wished he could hit the watering can. He knew it wouldn't make any difference, but he couldn't help but feel a surge of irritation in view of the big bomb that had suddenly exploded.

Phew, the water's already spilled.

After escaping the rift and falling into the future eight years later, he has developed a knack for resignation. Staring at Bae Won-woo won't make Lee Sa-young disappear and he's still a paying customer whether he likes it or not. Ui-jae calms down with this thought.

Okay, that's it. After the mind control was finished, Ui-jae put the two bowls on the stove. He hoped that the bastard would behave, at least for the short time he cooked the Haejang-guk.

After a while, a deserted haejang-guk house greeted the good part-timer Cha Ui-jae.

To be precise, the tables around Lee Sa-young were empty in a circle. There was a crumpled bill on the table where the customer had left, and some people were pacing in front of the cash register, waiting for Ui-jae to pay.

In the midst of all this chaos, only Lee Sa-young sat in silence.

Shit, what kind of typhoon eye are you?

Panicked, Ui-jae looked out the door with his bowl of Haejang-guk. In the distance, he could see the backs of the customers who had just inhaled haejang-guk scurrying away.

"Hey!"

"It was delicious-!!!"

Ui-jae, who had placed the haejang-guk on a tray, ran after them, but the hunters replied in a loud voice and they disappeared. It was so fast, it was like running away from a monster in a dungeon.

Staring at the empty alley in disbelief, he looked away. Outside the shop door, the hunters stood like barnacles against the wall, waiting for an opening.

Inside the shop. He pointed to an empty seat.

"It's empty, come in. We'll sort you out in a minute."

But one by one they threw their hands in the air.

"It's okay, I'm not really hungry."

Rumbled.

I don't think your stomach thinks so. But line number one was determined. He clenched his fists and shouted desperately.

"I can wait a little longer!"

Sure you can.... While Ui-jae was looking at line number two, a hunter standing in line two angrily pulled out his cell phone and put it to his ear. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke in a squeaky voice as if he was reading from a Korean book.

"Oh, right! Team leader, that was until today! Look at my head, I forgot! Yes, I'll be there soon!"

He even had the nerve to finish with a rap, having spoken in a staccato earlier.

The second hunter gestured to block the loudspeaker and whispered to Ui-jae.

"Oh no, I'm in line! I'm afraid I have to do your errand first and then eat... I've been in a bit of a hurry lately. I'm fine, please let everyone else in first."

However, the phone number was not entered on the screen of the cell phone that had been turned on by activating the proximity sensor, but the wallpaper was still visible. If you're going to play a trick, at least try to dial the number ..... Ui-jae looked at the waiting number with cold eyes.

The hunter standing third was expressionless, so he seemed to be quite calm in this situation. Then I can take this customer. When Ui-jae stared at him with this thought, the hunter opened his mouth.

"If that bastard leaves, can you call me? I'll give you my number, 010..."

Cancelled. Not calm at all.

As the unprecedented denial of entry unfolded, the suspicion that had been brewing in his mind turned into certainty. Surely that bastard had somehow managed to track him down with the ladle and apron he'd seen that night. After failing to fill a customer's order for the first time since he started working at Haejang-guk, Ui-jae went back into the shop, grabbed the boiling pot, and headed to Lee Sa-young's table.

I can call 112 to report a disturbance, but what if it's a hunter who's causing the trouble? Can I call the Awakening Management Bureau and they'll catch him?

"Sir."

Ui0jae slammed a steaming pot of haejang-guk onto the table.

"Here are the two bowls of Haejang-guk you ordered.

And even after it was served, he stood still and did not move. No matter how conceptual you are, you won't eat with a gas mask on. Ui-jae stared at Lee Sa-young with a suspicious expression and asked to see the shameless stranger.

A black-gloved hand went to his face and he slowly took off his gas mask and put it on the table. His violet eyes shone sharply from under his slightly disheveled fringe. He'd been watching him the whole time, too, and their gazes locked immediately.

"You're going to cut my face off."

Somehow he couldn't take his eyes off him. Just like the night he first met him in the alley.