Chapter 105: By fountain (3)

Part 5

It had been a few days since Yoonseo last worked at Youngjin’s bakery, and it had transformed into absolute chaos. No, it wasn’t just a bakery anymore—it was a bakery-shaped hell.

“Dude, you really okay?” Youngjin asked.

“Haha, I’m smiling, aren’t I? What’s not okay?” Yoonseo replied.

“…The fact that you’re smiling in this situation might be the biggest problem,” Youngjin said.

Yoonseo nearly nodded in agreement but stopped herself, silently conveying her resolve. Admitting Youngjin was right would make her want to collapse and throw a tantrum, refusing to go on.

“Take a break if it’s too much…” Youngjin started.

“If I leave you alone here, it’ll be a disaster. It’s already crazy with both of us,” Yoonseo cut in.

Inside, six or seven customers browsed the bread displays. Another handful sat at tables, filling them with cakes and coffee. Outside, a couple of young people peered in, probably wondering, Is this the place? The shop wasn’t bursting at the seams, but any delay in service could spiral into chaos, potentially disrupting business entirely.

If it came to that, crowd control would be impossible. Keeping things barely functional relied on Yoonseo and Youngjin hustling with customer service, payments, and packaging, plus the two bakers in the back churning out bread before stock ran dry. Without their efforts, even this precarious balance would’ve collapsed.

“Sorry for dragging you into this,” Youngjin said.

“Don’t apologize. I should’ve said no if I knew it’d be this insane, famous game or not,” Yoonseo replied.

“…Isn’t that backward?” Youngjin asked.

“Like I said on the phone, your bakery’s great,” Yoonseo said.

In a rare lull amidst the chaos, Youngjin was worrying about her instead of resting—classic Youngjin. He might pale next to Juyoung’s saintly vibe, but he was the type to reluctantly sign as a guarantor if asked.

“You could earn way more elsewhere. Feels like I’m making you suffer for nothing,” Youngjin said.

No, Juyoung would say, ‘Don’t do risky stuff, let’s hit a temp agency instead.’ Youngjin’s the real pushover who’d sign a bad deal and lose everything. Juyoung had a tough edge despite his soft exterior, while Youngjin, gruff on the surface, was oddly sentimental.

“…Stop worrying about me and rest while you can. Peak hours are over, but it’s still busy,” Yoonseo said.

Straightening up, she noticed a customer approaching the counter slowly, one she’d seen countless times today—someone whose awkward gait screamed they were here for her, not the bread. Probably heard an ad model works near my place.

“Let me help you with that, sir,” Yoonseo said.

“Oh, yes!” the customer replied.

His response confirmed it: he was here to see her face. She’d encountered dozens like him today alone, making it almost routine. She subtly grabbed Youngjin’s pant leg under the counter to stop him from stepping in with his annoyed expression. He’d nearly gotten into it with a customer once before, unable to tolerate the repeated intrusions.

She understood why Youngjin was upset, but she couldn’t snap, Why’re you mad when I’m keeping quiet? Her knack for managing expressions made her better suited to handle this.

“…Um, that saintess cos—” the customer started.

“My sibling’s a streamer, but I’m just a regular student,” Yoonseo interrupted.

Even if cut off, these types rarely got mad. They weren’t here for bread but out of some cosplayer or model fandom.

“Huh?” the customer blinked.

“It’s just something I did during break on a friend’s recommendation. Cosplay’s not my job. I’m a normal college student,” Yoonseo explained.

“Oh… right…?” he stammered.

Youngjin and his parents had agreed it was best to treat these customers like viewers. Rather than dragging it out, politely saying, Buy your bread and go, was the smarter move.

With that in mind, Yoonseo flashed her brightest service smile at the dazed customer. He’d picked small items—muffins, cookies—so no paper bag was needed.

“So, I’m sorry, but autographs or handshakes are off-limits. I’m just a bit known, not a celebrity or public figure,” she said.

“Oh… no, I wasn’t going to…” he mumbled.

“I believe you, but just in case. It’s embarrassing, but some people have asked,” Yoonseo said.

Sure you weren’t. That goofy expression didn’t fool her, but she swallowed her urge to call him out, sealing the paper bag with a strip of clear tape. Despite her rapid-fire words, she finished packing faster than talking. I’ve gotten good. Is this what they call pro-level? I didn’t realize I could move this fast.

“Total’s 13,800 won,” she said.

“Uh… card, please,” he replied.

“Got it. Receipt?”

“No…”

Her practiced hands worked the machine, swiping the card with muscle memory rather than checking the screen. With a flick, she tore off the receipt and handed back the card with a smile.

“Thank you,” she said.

“Thanks…?” he replied, still dazed.

Watching him leave, Yoonseo let out a quiet sigh, barely audible except to Youngjin.

“You’re really used to this,” he said.

“Overall, yeah,” Yoonseo admitted.

Youngjin’s mom had once said she “smiled through everything,” and lately, Yoonseo had grown adept at using her neutral charm. Though I only really use it on stream to set the vibe.

“With this, you’d get tons of freebies at a guy-run restaurant,” Youngjin teased.

“Tch, trying to pull sly fox moves with a smile? You’re not Yoonseo,” he added.

“Ehehe, I’ll charm ‘em all,” Yoonseo shot back.

Playfully, she raised her hands like fox ears, smirking mischievously and leaning slightly toward Youngjin. Their eyes met briefly, followed by a short silence. Embarrassment crept in, and as she started to lower her hands casually—

“…That old guy can’t find his bread. I’ll check,” Youngjin said, stepping away.

“Was it that bad?” Yoonseo asked.

Youngjin glanced back with a smirk, or maybe a sneer.

“Yeah, awful. Never do that again,” he said.

“Really that bad…?”

I thought my natural charm would be fine without practice…