Even though my physical strength had been built up through various part-time jobs throughout college life, it was evident here that I had only done tutoring or assistant teaching work, never having experienced food serving or kitchen work.

Na Eun has been wandering around for more than 2 hours, almost in a daze between the spinning plates and tables.

Tonight was Friday evening when the department event she had promised with senior Seok Hoon was taking place.

Na Eun, who was supposed to be in charge of serving at a small food cart operated by the department from 8 to 11 o’clock, worked with innate diligence, but she was also developing a kind of awe for all part-time workers doing hall service.

Taking orders and passing them to the kitchen, setting tables, and bringing out food according to orders when it’s ready.

Though it seemed simple, the number of tasks to be handled at once exceeded at least 3, truly making her mind dizzy.

Sneaking a glance at her wristwatch while working, it was already 10 o’clock in the evening.

As she was about to despair at the fact that there was still an hour left until work ended, a voice carefully calling her was heard from behind.

It was Seok Hoon, the senior who had drawn her into this department event.

“Na Eun, is it tough?”

“No, it’s fine.”

Although it was tough, she awkwardly smiled, not wanting to complain since it wasn’t just her doing this work and she had volunteered herself.

However, Seok Hoon, who was looking a bit sympathetically at her short bob hairstyle that had come undone due to sweat, was considerate of her first.

“The customers have decreased a lot now, and the shift change will come soon, so go eat something with your friends for a while.”

Na Eun glanced in the direction Seok Hoon was pointing.

In the corner of the food cart, three people were seen sitting closely on blue tables and plastic chairs.

Two were busy eating, and one was busy drinking.

Na Eun, busy working, seemed to pay no attention to them.

Thinking ‘I invited them, why are they so annoying,’ but then realizing that eating well doesn’t look bad, she smiled.

“Then I’ll go talk for a moment. Thank you, elder brother.”

“No, no. I’ll call you again later if needed.”

Seok Hoon gestured with a kind smile, and Na Eun gratefully accepted his goodwill.

She temporarily took off the apron she was wearing and headed towards the corner table.

Seung Joo, who was wrestling with chicken gizzards, looked up at her while busily putting side dishes in her mouth.

“Is work over?”

“But we ordered chicken feet earlier too, why hasn’t it come out?”

“We’re out of alcohol too.”

“…”

These people. A vein popped on Na Eun’s forehead for just a moment.

On the table where they sat, empty side dish plates that could easily feed 5 people were already strewn about, and it looked like they had each drunk at least two bottles of alcohol.

Especially Hee Won, who knows how many bottles he drank alone, had an exceptionally large gathering of bottles in front of him.

It’s her first time participating in a department event, and because she had no friends, she invited these guys out of loneliness, but all they seem to do is eat and drink.

Of course, that’s what she called them for, but it was slightly annoying that they seemed to be enjoying their drinking party among themselves while only using their friend Na Eun as a server.

Originally, it was supposed to be just Seung Joo and Sun Jin, but Na Eun invited that annoying team leader of yours too, saying that the three of them had worked as a team today, according to Sun Jin’s message that they were together now.

They had eaten together as four several times, and now they weren’t really awkward with each other anymore, plus he was her benefactor, so there was nothing more to hesitate about.

While doing hall service, she had provided some free side dishes and drinks to the three who came to visit, but she was in the middle of marveling at their appetite that was raising sales even more than that.

Na Eun pulled out another plastic chair, sat next to Sun Jin, found a wooden chopstick, and put some random side dish in her mouth.

“We’re out of chicken feet ingredients, and we’re short on alcohol too, but Seok Hoon said he bought some earlier. Wait a bit.”

“You’re really good at calling him ‘elder brother’. Doesn’t it make you cringe?”

“It doesn’t make me cringe when it’s someone who really feels like an elder brother.”

When she first came to university and was told to call a male senior ‘elder brother’, she felt so strange that her shoulders shuddered.

Thinking about it now, it seems that rather than having an aversion to the title itself, it was just because of her dislike for the person.

Seeing how well it comes out for Seok Hoon, it seems that way.

“Well, I have a senior at our school too. He’s very mature, and I don’t mind calling him ‘elder brother’.”

“It’s the person that matters, the person.”

Seung Joo and Sun Jin, who were nodding in agreement with Na Eun’s words, simultaneously looked at one place.

Na Eun followed her friends’ gaze.

Hee Won, who had become the center of attention while quietly pouring beer, tilted his head and smiled.

“Why are you picking on me again?”

“Seo Hee Won, you have a conscience, right? Huh? Judging by the fact that you’ve never asked us to call you ‘elder brother’.”

Seung Joo, who had been fully prepared to personally knock out a few teeth if such a thing had been said, asked with her fist clenched, and Na Eun sitting next to her laughed out loud.

Sun Jin warns that if he ever says such a thing, something will really break, preemptively threatening about a conversation Hee Won hadn’t even started.

Hee Won just shook his head in disbelief without answering.

Instead, it was Na Eun, who was laughing because it was funny, who answered for him.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure there are plenty of people calling you ‘elder brother’ on our behalf.”

Slip. The sausage Hee Won was trying to pick up with his chopsticks slipped.

“I’ve seen it a few times just at school. We take the same elective class, and you come in every day with a really pretty elder sister.”

At Na Eun’s casual remark, Seung Joo and Sun Jin clicked their tongues saying they knew it, while glancing at Hee Won.

Hee Won immediately noticed from their gazes.

It seems even these young team members had noticed his answerless state.

“…You’re busy in many ways, team leader.”

Sun Jin mutters with a bit of sarcasm in her words.

Seung Joo chews and swallows a few side dishes with a considerably displeased look.

Hee Won couldn’t find more words to say in this situation.

“If you’re busy, why don’t you just leave Na Eun’s protection to us?”

“Come to think of it, haven’t you been too close in your protection lately? Is there really a need to go that far?”

It was a warning meaning that they would never accept someone like him as a match for their friend and that he should stay away on his own, but this time it was Na Eun who stiffened her shoulders.

It goes without saying that after that burglary incident at home, Hee Won became more attentive to Na Eun’s personal safety.

He now receives more of her personal schedule than before, and the way home, which he used to only be responsible for when she wasn’t working, is now almost daily.

Na Eun stared at Hee Won sitting across from her.

Feeling her gaze, Hee Won blinked slowly as if he understood.

Na Eun had earnestly asked Hee Won not to tell her friends about the burglary incident.

She didn’t want to worry them more when they already had mountains of things to worry about.

It was also one of the virtues she thought a friend of a hero should have.

Hee Won tended to keep his promises no matter how lightly he made them, and thanks to that, her friends hadn’t heard anything about the incident she had experienced not long ago.

Before she could even think about what to say to change the subject, Seok Hoon, who was in the kitchen, came walking towards them with a tray loaded with the menu items they had ordered earlier.

“Sorry for the wait. Your ordered chicken feet are here… Ah!”

Seok Hoon, who was approaching with a kind smile, ended up tripping over the bags that Na Eun’s friends had carelessly put on the floor.

With a squeal, Seok Hoon almost fell forward in the posture of holding the tray, but it was Seung Joo, who was sitting closest, who caught him.

Like a hero with combat ingrained in her body, she stood up with lightning speed and wrapped her arm around Seok Hoon’s sturdy waist to prevent him from falling forward.

At the same time, she didn’t forget to lift the tray that Seok Hoon was about to drop with her other hand.

“…!”

“Are you okay?”

Seok Hoon, confirming that a woman a head shorter than him was firmly supporting his body weight while standing, and holding the chicken feet that almost spilled in her other hand, stroked his surprised chest.

He blinked in surprise for a moment, then realizing he was being held by her in a princess-like pose, he quickly separated his body.

Seung Joo, who had let go of his waist compliantly, put the tray on the table instead.

“S-Sorry…”

“It’s fine as long as you’re not hurt.”

Seung Joo, who sat back down as if it was nothing, quickly picked up the newly arrived menu with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth.

She, with her good appetite, tended to be happier with more side dishes than alcohol.

Behind Seung Joo, who was chewing with her cheeks full of chicken feet, Seok Hoon stood for a moment with a red face, then suddenly came to his senses and said to his junior Na Eun.

“Oh, Na Eun. We bought more sausages. Tell me if you want to eat. I’ll give them as a service side dish.”

“Don’t you need someone to cook those? If not, I’ll do it.”

With some time still left before work ends, and true to her innately diligent nature, Na Eun volunteered to help with kitchen work if there was nothing to do for serving.

But it was her two close friends from high school who quickly stopped her.

“No!”

“Absolutely not. Do you want to ruin someone else’s food cart?”

Sun Jin urgently grabbed Na Eun’s arm and forced her to sit down, while Seung Joo, even while putting three chicken feet in her mouth at once, didn’t stop her criticism.

While Na Eun was feeling dejected, it was the two men who were puzzled.

Seok Hoon asked first with round eyes.

“Why?”

“Yoon Na Eun is really bad at cooking. If you don’t want to ruin your food cart, don’t let her do it.”

Seok Hoon laughed at Seung Joo’s straightforward words.

“It’s okay. It’s just simple, like putting vegetables in and stir-frying. It would be harder to make it taste bad.”

“I’m telling you, she can achieve that difficult task. I’m seriously advising you, really don’t let her do it.”