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KAP 10
With the sudden appearance of the hockey captain, Angela and the other servers scattered in all directions as if fleeing for their lives.
‘Those traitors...’
Left alone in the eye of the storm, Kora wandered with her gaze, unable to find a place to look. Tristan held out his credit card along with a kitty pouch toward her.
“I didn't expect to see such an entertaining show when I came to settle my tab.”
“Um, well, that is...”
“No need for excuses, ‘Miss Stand-up Comedian’.”
“....”
He wore a smile where the corners of his mouth were curled up, but his eyes weren't laughing at all—just like after he had dealt with Svenson last time.
‘Oh boy.’
Taking the card with trembling hands, Kora turned back toward the counter as if escaping.
Hiding behind the bar table, she tapped away at the POS system, her fingertips shaking slightly from embarrassment and apprehension.
‘He was nowhere to be seen when I was looking for him. He always has to show up at a time like this...’
After processing the tab with the card, she stole a glance and saw Tristan sitting in a booth in the distance, scanning the menu. Was he actually planning to eat?
Kora cleared her throat and, pretending to be composed, approached him to hand back the card and the receipt.
“Here you go.”
Tristan asked, his eyes still fixed on the menu.
“What’s the tastiest thing here?”
“...Do you want to order? Um, the popular items are the buffalo wings and the Philly cheesesteak sandwich.”
It was unexpected. She had felt that he would only eat meals meticulously designed by a dedicated sports nutritionist. Only then did Tristan take his eyes off the menu and ask:
“You just thought it was surprising that I’d eat at a place like this, didn't you?”
Hit right on the mark, Kora kept her mouth shut.
“I’m a hockey player. Simple chicken pasta to fill up on carbs and protein is my staple.”
“...Haha. Sure. Should I put in an order for the chicken pasta?”
“What’s your favorite menu item?”
“...Chili soup?”
At those words, he snapped the menu shut and handed it back.
“I’ll have that then.”
“Got it. And a drink?”
“Ginger ale, please.”
As he ordered the ginger ale, the memory of the day she had poured a cold drink over his thigh a few days ago came rushing back.
The thought that this man might be silently and obsessively sharpening a blade for revenge sent a chill down her spine.
Honestly, he wasn't the kind of person she wanted as an enemy. Wouldn't it be better to be nice to him from now on, just as a form of insurance?
Having organized her thoughts, Kora flashed him a fake smile.
“...Is there anything else you need?”
“What’s with that creepy smile?”
“....”
Kora erased the smile and narrowed her eyes at Tristan, who was grinning while resting his chin on his hand. She then turned away, clutching the menu to her chest.
‘He’s so uncomfortable.’
Just as she stood before the POS system, tapped the screen to send the order to the kitchen, and was about to turn around.
Tinkle—.
The moment the sound of the pub door opening made Kora turn her head mechanically, she locked eyes with a male student with a bright impression.
With sun-kissed olive skin and curly golden-brown hair, the student was a handsome man with striking, mischievous hazel eyes.
He was wearing a letterman jacket with a football logo patch on the chest and was carrying a large sports bag in his hand.
“Hola, chicas!”
Greeting her warmly, he sat down at the bar table. Then, he winked at Kora, who was standing nearby, and said:
“The usual, please, Kora.”
The student was none other than Luca Cruz, the starting quarterback of the Chestworth football team.
On campus, Luca was one of the two most popular figures, alongside the hockey captain, Tristan.
As one could guess from his appearance, Luca was a Latino whose parents were Argentine-Americans.
With the energetic personality and charming smiling face characteristic of Hispanics, he was a junior—one year older than Kora—and a regular at this pub.
He always chatted comfortably with the servers, and he got along particularly well with Kora. Kora spoke to him without hesitation.
“A hamburger again? Today is ‘Taco Tuesday.’ Aren't you going to have tacos?”
Hearing this, Luca suddenly dropped his jaw and placed a hand over his heart as if he had been shocked.
“...Kora. Do you think I’m going to eat tacos just because I’m Latino? Wow... And since I’m Argentine, empanadas are my soul food, not tacos. Wow...”
“...Oh. Sorry. I didn't mean it like that. Did I offend you?”
Seeing Kora’s flustered expression, Luca immediately burst into a cheerful laugh.
“Hahaha! Look at your face. Of course I’m joking! Besides, I’m a taco maniac. I got you.”
“Luca, you!”
“Haha, sorry, Princesa. Then today, I’ll order the shrimp tacos and kimchi tacos. And please give me some french fries and coleslaw on the side.”
“Are your friends coming later?”
“No? Wait... were you subtly shaming me for eating too much...? Wow, seriously. Wow.”
When Luca put on another exaggeratedly shocked face, Kora stuck her tongue out at him.
“I’m not falling for it twice.”
“Eh, haha. You’re quick! Actually, I’m bulking up lately, so I need to hit my calories.”
“Wow, does that mean you can eat whatever you want? I’m jealous.”
“Yep. Even if I eat like this, I don't gain fat; it all goes to muscle. Jealous, right?”
While chatting with Luca, Kora suddenly felt a stinging gaze on her cheek.
Glancing toward the source of the feeling, she saw Tristan staring at her with a dissatisfied expression.
‘...What’s his problem?’
Just as she tried to ignore that piercing gaze and refocus on Luca, Tristan called her in a low voice.
“Kora.”
“...What.”
“Can you come here for a second?”
As Kora approached with a sluggish gait as if it were a chore, he pushed his half-eaten plate forward and spoke in a dry tone.
“The meat in the soup is undercooked. Could you go to the kitchen and check on it?”
“...Huh, really? Sorry, okay. I’ll check right away.”
Feeling sorry for serving undercooked food, Kora immediately took the soup bowl and headed for the kitchen. It would be a disaster if Tristan filed a formal complaint.
As she pushed through the swing doors into the kitchen, the heat and smell of oil emanating from the deep fryers engulfed her.
In the hot kitchen where the large ventilation fans hummed, the hot-tempered head chef was slamming a knife onto the prep table.
When she announced loudly that there was a complaint about the food, the chef yelled at her as usual.
“Just eat the damn thing! Do you think this is Gordon Ramsay’s kitchen? Which picky bastard is it? Huh?”
“The hockey captain. Tristan Lockwood. Would you like to go out to the floor and tell him yourself?”
The moment that name was mentioned, the chef’s shouting stopped abruptly. He paused for a moment, then held out his rough hand.
“...Give it here.”
Taking the plate, he wordlessly put the soup back in the pot and recooked it.
‘What the... I’ve never seen the chef act like that.’
Apparently, the name Lockwood carried weight even in the kitchen of the Jersey Club, which was otherwise a lawless zone. After receiving the bowl back, Kora served the food in front of Tristan again.
“It should be definitely cooked this time. I’m really sorry. Should I bring you some coffee on the house?”
“It’s fine. It wasn't your fault, so you don't have to apologize.”
Kora nodded, slightly bewildered by the surprisingly mild reaction. Thinking that it was a relief the commotion didn't escalate, she turned to leave.
Then, a boisterous burst of laughter erupted from where Luca was sitting. Unconsciously turning toward the sound, she locked eyes with Luca, who was laughing while holding up his phone screen.
“Kora, Kora! Can you come here for a second?”
“Yeah?”
“My family wants to see your face. Would it be okay if I introduced you?”
Now that she noticed, Luca had been on a video call with his family. Luca, who was from West San Diego, had mentioned that he lived in a large extended family with his relatives before coming to Chestworth.
Having grown up in such a family-oriented environment, he often had video calls with them while having dinner at the pub. However, this was the first time he had made such a proposal to Kora.
“...Me?”
Luca grinned and nodded.
Though it was sudden, Kora found it hard to refuse his proposal and agreed. Luca then brought the phone screen in front of her face.
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