Please let me work

“I’d appreciate it if you’d let go for now.”

At the force pushing her shoulders, Sana instinctively shook her head. She was desperate, thinking she might never find him again if she let go.

Sigh. A sigh came from above her head.

“If you don’t let go, I’ll have to make you let go by force.”

A slightly colder voice than before was heard, and the grip on Sana’s shoulders tightened.

“Ugh.”

A moan involuntarily escaped her lips from the pain, and the pressure on her shoulders lessened.

“So, release your arms while I’m asking nicely.”

At the renewed warning, she reluctantly released her arms and stepped back. She raised her head and saw his face, looking down at her with an exasperated expression.

‘It’s definitely him.’ She had seen that face so many times that there was no mistaking it.

“Do you know me?”

Perhaps finding her persistent gaze burdensome, he frowned and asked. Sana instinctively nodded. Then, a beat later, she thought, ‘Oh, right.’

She knew him, but he didn’t know her. In her joy at finally finding him, she had forgotten that fact.

Seeing his face stiffen, she realized she had made a big mistake, but the spilled milk couldn’t be un-spilled.

“You know me?”

He asked again. This time, she couldn’t answer immediately and just bit her lips. ‘What should I say? If he thinks I’m a weirdo, he won’t even bother with me…’ She had many things she wanted to say, but couldn’t bring herself to utter any of them.

“It’s not that…”

She knew, but she didn’t know. All Sana knew was his face and the death that awaited him.

“Have we met somewhere before?”

“No.”

She answered in a barely audible voice, and he furrowed his brow. He probably thought she was spouting nonsense, saying she knew him but had never met him.

“Are you perhaps trying to hit on me?”

His tone grew even colder.

“Hit on you?”

She blinked, not understanding what he meant, and he waved his hand, dismissing it.

“Jungwook.”

He called the large man standing next to him.

“Send her off gently. Don’t cause a commotion.”

“Just a moment!”

Sana desperately grabbed him as he turned to leave, seemingly wanting no further interaction. As she clung to the hem of his black jacket, he frowned and turned back.

“What exactly are you trying to do?”

“Well…”

How should she explain? She had to stay by his side. Only then could she protect him.

“Please, let me stay by your side!”

Her heart raced, fearing he might shake her off and leave at any moment. Her thoughts tumbled out, unorganized.

Just as expected, both he and the man named Lee Jungwook stared at Sana with incredulous expressions.

His eyes slowly moved down, stopping at Sana’s hand clutching his jacket hem. He let out a sigh so loud it sounded like a haaa, and his face twisted.

“I told you to let go.”

He gripped Sana’s wrist tightly. The strong grip made her fingers lose strength, and she let go of his jacket hem.

“You don’t seem drunk either…”

He stared at Sana, then let out a sigh-filled remark.

“That’s enough. Huh?”

Lee Jungwook, seemingly thinking this wouldn’t work, stepped forward, put his arms around Sana’s shoulders from behind, and lifted her off the ground. He strode away, as if to simply remove her.

She struggled, telling him to put her down, but due to the difference in their physiques and strength, she couldn’t budge him.

“I’ll… I’ll work! I want to work here!”

At her desperate shout, Lee Jungwook stopped. Lee Jungwook, still holding Sana dangling, looked back at the one who had been called ‘Brother Heukrang.’ He watched Lee Jungwook’s actions, and Sana saw his chest rise and fall dramatically, as if he were sighing again.

He walked back the same distance he had moved, and when he gestured with his eyes, Lee Jungwook set Sana down on the ground.

“What can you do?”

He looked directly at Sana and asked. Sana’s large eyes rolled from him to the club.

Truthfully, she didn’t even know what went on inside. She had vaguely heard talk of clubs on TV, but she had never been to such a place. So, she couldn’t even guess what kind of work she would do.

“Well…”

But if she said she didn’t know here, she felt she would truly be kicked out without a second thought.

“Go into a room… or something…?”

Recalling what the slit-eyed man had said about her earlier, she vaguely answered, and he, who had been staring at her, let out an incredulous scoff.

“Do you even know what you do if you go into a room?”

There was no way she would know. She didn’t even know what a ‘room’ was.

“Can you drink?”

He looked directly at Sana and asked. At his sharp, probing gaze, she unconsciously swallowed dryly.

“A little…?”

She had never properly drunk alcohol. She had turned twenty this year, but there had been no occasion to drink.

“What then?”

What came after drinking? She blinked, having no idea, and he let out a ha, a sharp intake of breath.

“Other work is fine too! Cleaning, cooking… I can do everything! Please, I beg you.”

She was anxious that he would say no, to stop and get lost. Thinking that everyone needed someone to clean, she clung to him, begging to be allowed to clean.

“Brother, it’s better if you just ignore her…”

Lee Jungwook tried to pull Sana’s arm, but he raised his hand to stop him.

“Why are you so desperate?”

He asked with a sigh. While relieved that he wasn’t immediately trying to kick her out, she was at a loss for how to answer. Even if she explained the truth, he probably wouldn’t believe her.

“Money… I need money!”

“Money?”

His eyebrow subtly twitched. Sana nodded vigorously. There was nothing more desperate for people than money, so perhaps this excuse would work.

His eyes narrowed as he looked at Sana. He seemed to be trying to gauge if Sana’s words were true. His gaze moved from her face down to her clothes.

Seeing his eyebrows furrow even more than before, she regretted that she should have worn different clothes. She had always lived in these clothes, so they weren’t uncomfortable for her at all, and she hadn’t given it a thought.

“Why are your clothes like that?”

Sure enough, he pointed out Sana’s clothes.

“What the hell is she?”

He shook his head, sighing, as if unable to understand, and clucked his tongue. His expression clearly showed he thought she was a strange person due to her unusual appearance.

“This… I’ll change. I really, really need to work here!”

Sana clung to the hem of his clothes.

“Did you run away from home?”

He asked with a deep frown. Run away from home…? She paused, pondering how to define the word ‘run away,’ so her answer wasn’t immediate. Muryeong, which she could call her family, no longer existed.

“I guess it’s true.”

As she hesitated instead of answering immediately, Lee Jungwook sighed. Sana felt there was a slight misunderstanding, but she didn’t deny it and looked up at the one called Brother Heukrang. She had to stay by this person’s side no matter what.

As if tired, he ran a hand through his hair and looked down at Sana.

“Go home. Don’t make the people waiting for you worry.”

At his blunt refusal, Sana’s face quickly crumpled into a tearful expression.

“…don’t.”

“What?”

She had answered with her head bowed, so he asked again, seemingly not having heard properly.

“I don’t have anyone waiting.”

She raised her head again, looking him straight in the eyes, and answered clearly. A moment of silence passed. His face subtly twisted, as if regretting asking, then quickly returned to a poker face.

“Your parents?”

“They died in an accident when I was little.”

It wasn’t a lie. Her parents really had died in an accident when she was young. That was the first ‘death’ Sana had witnessed. At her answer about her parents’ deaths, silence fell again.

This time, even Lee Jungwook’s face was etched with pity.

His lips set in a straight line, he stared at Sana silently, then after a long pause, he let out a deep breath.

“Follow me.”

“Brother?”

Lee Jungwook’s voice shot up in surprise at his words.

“You can probably do some serving, right? You said we were short on floor staff anyway.”

“That’s true, but…”

Lee Jungwook scanned Sana from head to toe. He was very doubtful if such a small figure could properly carry heavy liquor bottles and snacks.

“Let her try for a day, and if it really doesn’t work out, cut her.”

At the word ‘cut,’ Sana flinched and looked back and forth between him and Lee Jungwook. Then her eyes met his.

“I’ll work hard! So I don’t get cut!”

As she clenched her fists, determined, he, who had been staring blankly, subtly curved his lips into a smirk.

“Come this way. I’ll give you clothes to change into.”

He pointed towards the alley from which he had first emerged. The staff exit was at the back of the building, he said.

“Brother, you’re too soft on people like her.”

Lee Jungwook grumbled as he followed.

“Are you going to take in every orphan in the world, Brother? If Big Brother or Viper Brother find out…”

He kept grumbling until he turned around, then reluctantly fell silent. Without adding anything further, he shifted his gaze from Lee Jungwook to Sana.

“By the way, how old are you?”

His expression seemed to be asking if she was underage, surely not.

“Twenty.”

She answered honestly, but he looked at her with an utterly unconvinced expression.

“ID.”

He held out his hand, but Sana only blinked her large eyes, looking at him.

“Show me your ID.”

ID? Ah! A beat later, she realized he meant her resident registration card.

“I don’t have it with me right now.”

As soon as she answered, she saw his face twist in frustration.

“I didn’t think to carry it… But it’s true! I’ll definitely show you later!”

Fearing he would again say no and tell her to leave, she earnestly tried to explain, but he sighed and turned his head.

“Name?”

“Sana.”

As she answered with a bright smile, the facial muscles of him and Lee Jungwook, who had been watching, twitched.