"What?!" they all shouted in unison.

I began to slowly chew the chicken I had just put in my mouth.

"Are you really only nineteen?" the owner asked.

I nodded.

My relationship with Matt began when I was thirteen. When I finished school, I moved in with him and dedicated myself to working part-time every now and then, taking care of everything at home.

"No wonder you looked so young..." the owner said, wrinkling his brow.

“Didn’t you ask him that when he came to apply for a job?” John asked, picking at a carrot with his fork.

His parents exchanged a knowing glance and chuckled, making him laugh too.

John just shook his head, chuckling softly.

"And your family?" the omega asked suddenly.

"At their house, I guess," I replied.

The couple exchanged a look as John chewed, his eyes still on me.

"Do they know you work here... full-time?"

I shook my head.

"What about your studies?"

I frowned and shook my head again.

I saw their worried faces and decided to explain my situation a little.

“I moved out as soon as school ended, so I haven’t heard from my parents since then. And now I work here,” I said, leaving out the part about Matt and shoving another piece of chicken into my mouth.

I had no planned on telling them about my life, but they had given me so much that they at least deserved to know that.

Although after saying it, I felt like it would only make them worry more.

“I’m fine,” I added.

“You’re almost not legal in South Korea,” John mumbled.

I looked at him and smiled. I was not sure if he was trying to change the subject from my family, but I appreciated it.

"We're not in South Korea," I replied.

They all remained silent and I felt that because of me the atmosphere had become tense. I could see from the faces of the owners that they wanted to ask me more questions, but they held back.

"It's not that bad," I said, trying to sound relaxed. "How old are you, John?" I asked casually, trying to change the subject.

He was quiet for a moment.

"I won't tell you," he declared, shoving a generous portion of salad into his mouth.

"That's not fair."

"He's twenty-three," his father answered for him, which made John nearly spill the water he had just drank.

"Oh, really?"

He was four years older. Not that much older, but I would definitely make sure to remember it so I could tease him about it later.

"Don't ask us, we don't like to talk about it," the omega said with a smile.

"I won't," I replied, smiling back.

When we talked about my age, it occurred to me that Matt had turned twenty last month. I grimaced.

I had hesitated about whether to wish him a happy birthday or not, and in the end, I just sent him a message saying, "Happy birthday," to which he did not reply. Maybe he had changed his phone number, or maybe he just did not want to answer. I felt silly for having written to him, and even worse when he did not reply, though I should have expected something like that. I did not even know what I hoped to achieve by sending him that message.

When I snapped out of my thoughts, John had placed a carrot on my plate, and when I looked at him, he smiled, then turned back to continue his conversation with his parents.

When we finished dinner, he insisted on walking me back to the hotel. I flatly refused, as always.

He sighed and gave me a look.

"If you don't accept, I'll tell my parents you live there," he declared.

Crap. Now he had something to blackmail me with.

"... Fine. Let's go," I replied reluctantly, earning a victorious smile from him.

I said goodbye to his parents and we went down to the café, then left and walked toward the hotel.

"A-" I began, trying to remember. "Aju... Ahjussi?" I stammered.

He looked at me in surprise. He smiled and looked away to avoid being seen laughing, even though it was too obvious.

So I had said it right. I smiled to myself, proud of knowing a few basic words in Korean.

"Ahjussi, it's getting late, I can continue on my own from here. It's close, ahjussi," I repeated.

He walked a little further and stood in front of me.

"Say it again." "He said.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Ahjuss..." Mid-sentence, he raised his hand and squeezed my cheeks with his fingers, making my mouth look like a fish's.

He looked at me, his eyes telling me to continue.

I frowned and pulled his hand away.

"Fine, I'll stop." I gave him a smile.

"Good boy. And I'm not an old man," he complained, smiling and placing his hand on my head. He stood beside me again and we continued walking.

"You're too serious for your age," he said suddenly. "But you've been joking around a lot lately, so you look more your age." He finished with a smile.

"You're like an old man," I replied.

He laughed and put his hands in his pockets.

"I'm not. We're only four years apart, more or less..."

I glanced at him sideways.

"Your birthday?" I asked.

"Oh, it was in April," he replied. "I celebrated it in South Korea, of course."

"I see."

"What about yours?" he asked a little while later.

"Hmm?" I had not been paying attention, since I was blowing on my hands to warm them up.

"Your birthday," he repeated.

"In September."

He was quiet for a second.

"... It's October."

I stopped moving my hands.

"Oh," I replied. "So I'm twenty now."

He looked at me, unsure what to say, and then, he burst out laughing.

"Oh my god, I can't believe it," he said between laughs. "Who forgets their own birthday?"

"Well, I'm sorry," I spoke, somewhat annoyed by his exaggerated laughter.

"When was it?" he asked, wiping away a tear from laughing so hard.

"The tenth."

"You turned twenty on the tenth. Did not you remember it, not even because of the similarity or something?"

He was right. I had even remembered Matt's birthday, which was on September twenty-ninth, but I had not remembered mine. Probably because I had been nervous about his.

"I remembered someone else's," I replied without thinking.

"Well, you must remember yours," he said. "I'll remember it for you from now on," he added.

I glanced at him sideways. He was taking it for granted that we would see each other from now on. I was grateful he said so, since that guaranteed me the job.

"Okay," I agreed, looking back at the road. We were already at the hotel entrance, so I stopped, "See you."

I started walking inside when John took my arm. I turned to look at him.

"Tomorrow's your day off," he began, looking nervous. "So..." He hesitated for a second before saying what he wanted to say. "Do you have some time?"

I stared at him, wide-eyed.

I opened my mouth to reply, but he cut me off.

"It's for coffee. I just want you to come with me. Could you?" He clasped his hands in front of his face. "I need to look into a few things, and I need a second opinion. And well, that's it."

I relaxed and nodded.

He smiled and lowered his hands.

"Yay," he crooned, making me smile.

"And you're supposed to be the oldest here," I joked.

"I am, kiddo," he replied, trying to tease me.

I rolled my eyes and took a few steps back to go into the hotel.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow then. Don't fall on the way back."

“I won’t. And I’ll take your words as a ‘come back safely, John,’” he softened his voice for the last few words.

I smiled at him and turned, entering the hotel.

“Oh, I’ll text you the time and place,” he added behind me before the door closed. I turned to face him and nodded.

I looked back at the front of the hotel and saw the receptionist smile at me, waving, then his eyes followed me, his hand waving.

I turned my head, my hands still in my pockets, and saw John waving back.

As soon as he saw me, he lowered his hand and left quickly.

That guy made friends everywhere he went.

I turned to the receptionist and smiled at him again. Then went upstairs to my room and as soon as I got there, I threw myself onto the bed, face up.

I opened my eyes, staring at the ceiling.

I was not quite sure why I was surprised for a second when John asked if I was free tomorrow. Somehow I had misunderstood him.

With him, it was all about work, at least that is how it had been after that night I had been weak. But something felt off.

I tried to figure it out, but in the end, I just decided to ignore it.

I lay down on the bed without having changed yet. The jacket John lent me was always too big and warm, so I usually kept it on until I got too hot.

My gaze drifted to the drawer where I kept Matt's jacket.

Every night I took it out and slept in it just to feel close to him. I had tried not to, but it only made me anxious and kept me awake.

I stared at the drawer for a long time, trying to decide.

My phone rang, so I glanced at it and picked it up.

It was a message from John.

'I'll see you at nine in the morning. I'd tell you I'll go to the hotel, but I can't lol. Sorry! So, in Emancipation Square, you know it? I hope so. The one with the empty fountain in the middle lol. Rest well~~'

I let out a small sigh. It was the first time he had messaged me, and I noticed he wrote something different than I had expected, but it suited him in a way. I stared at the message for a while.

'Yes, I know the place. Got it, rest well too."  I wrote and sent the message

He immediately sent me a sticker of a kitten blowing hearts. I smiled, put my phone on the nightstand, and snuggled up. The familiar scent of John's jacket made me relax more and more.

Eventually, my eyes closed and I fell asleep just as I was dressed.