"The tests showed no problems with his brain. How can he have amnesia? Does that make any sense?""He even remembered the time of the accident correctly and had no problems conversing with family and acquaintances who visited. Though he had symptoms of a concussion, he recovered quickly.""Then how can he only fail to remember me?"Mitch pressed Marlon for any answer about this phenomenon. After hesitating for a few seconds, Marlon opened his mouth."Perhaps the hippocampus or temporal lobe was impacted during the accident...""I thought you said the impact was minor!""We'll need to run tests again. But this is so unexpected that I don't know what to tell you either."Mitch pressed his forehead with both hands and bowed his head. Marlon was equally frustrated and let out a deep sigh."...When a person experiences something too painful, they can sometimes erase memories with even a small physical impact. It's a kind of defense mechanism when they can't handle excessive stress."Mitch
Heh. Douglass's laughter spread through the hospital corridor. It was clearly a sneer.Mitch felt heat rushing to his face and bowed his head even lower."Ah, 200 thousand pesos.""It's money I would receive as key money anyway when I leave and another café moves in, I'm just asking for it in advance. Because the situation is urgent...""Hey.""...Huh?"When Douglass cut him off, Mitch startled and raised his head. Then his eyes met with Douglass, who was looking down at him as if he were a bug."I don't like informal speech.""......"Because of the pain spreading from his solar plexus where that gaze had pierced him, Mitch understood what Douglass was saying a beat late.Ah. Could it be he thinks I'm younger than him?"I'm actually older than you.""So what? You come begging for money and want to argue about who was born first?"Mitch shook his head. Then Douglass suddenly grabbed Mitch's chin and lifted his face. Then, as if annoyed by the hat he was wearing, he arbitrarily removed
As he watched him with eyes containing surprise and expectation, Douglass instead lit up with interest upon seeing Mitch in the café inside the company building."So you really work here?"He hasn't remembered. Mitch felt his energy drain with disappointment. He swallowed a sigh. Of course, if Douglass had recognized him, he would have apologized first for yesterday, or asked what had happened when he saw his appearance."What would you like to order?"Mitch asked in a businesslike manner."But it's strange. Why would I have set up a café specifically? If I was going to help with something, I would have established a more impressive business.""What drink would you like?""Perhaps I just kept you around casually and threw you any old thing so you could eat and leave?""Are you going to order or not?"Mitch ignored Douglass's words and asked for his order again. Only then did Douglass scan the menu."What did I usually order when I came here?""Iced Americano.""I'll have that."After
Originally, he had planned to stay at the café until closing at 8 PM, but he left early because he had received a call from a company where he had recently submitted his resume for a delivery driver position. He decided to leave the closing to the afternoon part-timers.After the interview and completing the company's mandatory training before officially starting work, it was already late at night.On his way home, he checked his phone and found several messages had accumulated.[Mitch. This is Sammy Stuart^^ I'd like to meet once more to discuss the dessert supply. When are you available?][Boss.... my sibling has been hospitalized urgently, could you possibly change my afternoon schedule?ㅠㅜ][Hello, customer Mitch Forbes. How satisfied were you with the loan product consultation you received?]Come to think of it, he needed to decide on the new dessert menu quickly. Overwhelmed by reality, he hadn't had time to focus on that.He managed to reply only to work-related messages before
"The café isn't open yet.""So what?" Douglass shot Mitch a dangerous look that seemed to say, "What are you going to do about it?""Please come back when we open.""You're running a business practically rent-free thanks to me, and you've got a lot to say."Douglass Brady had always been selfish, but this version of him who didn't remember Mitch spoke so irritatingly that Mitch wanted to slap him across the mouth.But since what he said wasn't wrong, Mitch had no comeback."What would you like to order, customer?" Mitch quickly changed his approach, turning on the POS system to take Douglass's order."Iced Americano."Douglass tossed his card onto the counter as soon as he answered."The machine isn't fully heated up yet. Would it be okay if I served you an iced hand-drip coffee instead?""Do whatever you want."Mitch calmly picked up Douglass's card and processed the payment.Watching the process, Douglass clicked his tongue."You're not even acting cute. Did I really date you?"Mitc
"You're staying late today instead of running away in the middle."Douglass suddenly appeared from somewhere while Mitch was closing up. Mitch glanced back while cleaning, having turned off the lights and put the chairs on the tables."Yes."The lackluster response came out because he had no energy to retort. One of the part-timers scheduled for the afternoon shift couldn't come due to personal reasons, so Mitch had to stay from opening until closing.As a result, every muscle in his body was screaming in pain. He had planned to do delivery work after finishing his shift, but that was now out of the question. He should probably go straight back to his officetel to rest."We used to live together, right?"Douglass abruptly brought up their past relationship while standing in front of the busy Mitch. Mitch decided to ignore him completely and focused on washing dishes."But there were only my things in the apartment we shared."When Mitch didn't respond, Douglass went as far as entering
"What's with this clean-cut guy?"The alpha loan shark turned towards Douglass. Their tones were clearly confrontational.Mitch signaled with his eyes for Douglass to leave. These weren't people he needed to get involved with. Besides, even though Douglass was larger than them, it would be dangerous to face two people at once. Especially since he'd recently been in an accident—what if Douglass got hurt..."I asked first, but I'm still waiting for an answer."Douglass raised one eyebrow as if puzzled."Look at this. The way this young punk talks is all wrong. Ah, are you Forbes's boyfriend?"The beta standing next to the alpha clapped his hands and laughed at his comment."Ahh, that must be it! Why else would he be hanging around here at this hour.""Mr. Douglass Brady. Please leave."Mitch warned Douglass, but he didn't budge an inch, as if he couldn't hear Mitch's voice."Mitch Forbes must be quite skilled at seducing alphas.""He does look the slutty type."The loan sharks exchanged
Simultaneously, the sound of someone turning the emergency staircase doorknob came from the floor below. Probably someone who had finished parking in the underground garage and was trying to come up the stairs. But there was only a rattling sound; the door wouldn't open.Douglass Brady had already instructed his secretary to lock all emergency exit doors on every floor. So that no one except himself and these men could use them."Huh, so this guy really was a rich young master after all."Having confirmed that the money had indeed been transferred to the account, the Beta let out a surprised laugh. It was understandable—in this line of work, he had never received money so easily and quickly before. Usually, it took anywhere from six months to several years."But it seems like a bit more money came in than expected. Is this a tip?" the Alpha asked after checking the numbers in the text message."Ah, that." Douglass casually dropped his shortened cigarette on the floor and extinguished
"Mitch?""Let's talk somewhere else first.""Yes, anywhere is fine with me."Sammy smiled as if satisfied just by the fact that Mitch hadn't rejected him. Mitch, on the other hand, felt a chill run down his spine from tension.He briefly thought about politely turning Sammy away with the café as an excuse, but there was no guarantee that Sammy, who had come all this way, would leave quietly. It would also seem strange to refuse outright in front of the part-time worker.Besides, he was curious why Sammy kept requesting meetings along with the frequent contact. While he was still grateful for the advice given when he didn't know much about desserts, he didn't consider himself close enough to Sammy to need regular meetings.After hesitating briefly, Mitch went up to the building's rooftop with Sammy. Perhaps because it was morning, there were hardly any people around yet."Mr. Sammy Stuart. How did you end up coming all the way here?""You haven't been answering my calls since yesterday
Lately, Mitch found himself eating heavily in the evenings since he frequently missed lunch due to being busy with the café work.For some unknown reason, Mitch's appetite had increased to a bewildering degree. While Douglass had encouraged him to gain weight, so eating freely should have been fine, the problem was that eating so much made him terribly sleepy afterward.Recently, they had dinner together whenever Douglass wasn't busy, but the number of times they had sex could be counted on one hand. This was because Mitch would fall asleep almost immediately after eating, as if under hypnosis.He'd fall asleep in the car, in the bathtub, while waiting for Douglass to finish showering. This had already happened numerous times.Although Douglass hadn't complained, Mitch felt anxious that he might misunderstand and think Mitch was pretending to sleep to avoid intimacy.When Mitch fell asleep, Douglass deliberately avoided initiating anything. This naturally led to the night passing unev
In any case, Mitch, who had just settled into a chair in the back room to rest, stood up abruptly like a soldier receiving orders. As he went to the kitchen and filled a disposable cup with ice while pulling an espresso shot, his part-timer looked at him questioningly."Boss, did an order come in?"She seemed confused that Mitch was making a drink when there were no customers."It's for me. I'll be back in a moment.""Ah, okay!"[See you on the 27th floor]After sending a reply to Douglass, Mitch grabbed a muffin and a cookie from what they sold in the store and put them in his pocket. Then he took the iced Americano and got into the elevator.When Mitch got off at the 26th floor and climbed one flight of stairs, Douglass was already there waiting.He was sitting on the stairs leading up to the 28th floor, greeting Mitch with an expression that asked why he was so late."Your replies are getting slower and slower.""I was really busy today.""Then I guess you haven't eaten again.""I
Something feels strange.What are memories to people, really? Mitch felt both happy and somewhat sorrowful about the phenomenon where, even if impressions and experiences kept until now disappeared overnight, one would still end up making the same choices.If Douglass had made the same choice as in the past today, then the theater they were entering would likely have just the two of them, Douglass and Mitch. After all, Douglass would have rented out the entire opera house.Once the two of them settled in the VIP seats with the best view of the stage, the magnificent orchestral performance would resonate vividly throughout the theater.He recalled how his heart had raced faster as the tempo quickened and the actors' voices grew louder.Mitch remembered the moment when he first held hands with Douglass and kissed him in this very place.'Is this okay here? During the performance...''I reserved it for exactly this reason.'The time spent with Douglass then had been so thrilling and wond
"Fuck, later."Douglass's excited voice flowed out quietly.—Director?The secretary didn't hear Douglass's words and knocked again. Then the door swung open, and a startled Mitch pushed Douglass away.Ah, shit. Douglass cursed. He wiped his wet lips with his thumb while fixing his sharp eyes on Mitch, who had fled in an instant."Don't come in yet.""Understood."Douglass looked disapprovingly at Mitch, who hadn't fully pulled down his top."Fix your clothes properly.""Mmm."Though the secretary was standing at the entrance not even looking in Mitch's direction, Mitch was mortified. After straightening his clothes, he gave Douglass a look asking if he needed to stay, and Douglass gestured with his chin that he could leave.As soon as he got permission, Mitch turned around quickly. The secretary he encountered at the door bowed without showing any surprise. Mitch bowed back briefly before quickly escaping from the meeting room."What's the matter?"Douglass glared at the secretary ir
That expression was so typical of Douglass Brady.That's why Mitch thought he might still be confused. Seeing Douglass like this made it seem like he hadn't changed at all, yet there were moments when he felt like a stranger, both feelings coexisting. It was difficult to know how to treat him.Would this wavering heart find balance with more time? Or would the confusion only end when he completely put aside his feelings for Douglass?"I need to open the café now. You should head upstairs too."Mitch deliberately spoke in a bright tone, trying to push away the awkward atmosphere.Douglass, whom Mitch had expected to say something in response, simply nodded obediently and went to the office.The evening rush had nearly passed, and the café was now quiet. Suddenly finding himself with nothing to do, Mitch checked his phone that he had kept in his apron pocket.[Come up to my office when you're done at the café]There was a text message from Douglass. It would be nice if he gave some hint
"It's not opening hours yet... And if you came in, you should have said something.""I was going to, but you looked busy."Mitch rolled his eyes, wondering why Douglass was here this morning. Had he returned from his trip already? After the text exchange from the other day, there had been no contact, so Mitch thought he was still in San Francisco.Douglass smiled as he watched Mitch covering his mouth and diligently chewing the remaining food."What?"Mitch asked belatedly after swallowing everything in his mouth."It's unusual to see you eating something.""Ah. I was in the process of selecting new desserts to sell."Mitch suddenly recalled that Douglass quite enjoyed sweet foods. After a moment's hesitation, he looked at Douglass standing across the counter."Are you busy?""Why?""If not, could you spare a moment?"He then opened the door to the kitchen, inviting him in. If he left Douglass standing outside, passersby might find it strange. Although it was early enough that most wer
Sammy gladly accepted Mitch's proposal to supply desserts from his bakery. Mitch was especially grateful to Sammy since he had already been rejected by several other famous bakeries with similar requests."Mitch, have you thought about which desserts you want to focus on?""Yes. Actually, even though we're an espresso bar, our highest sales come from Americanos, and given our location, we get a lot of office workers.""That makes sense.""So I think it would be good to have one dessert that pairs well with espresso, and another that goes well with Americano as our main offerings.""Wouldn't it be better to increase the variety a bit more?""Then inventory and quality control would become difficult... If possible, I'd rather focus on quality over quantity. I've heard so many comments about our desserts being subpar. It's embarrassing, to be honest.""Haha.""I need to make up for it with this opportunity."Mitch wanted to select desserts that would best complement the café's signature
"Mitch Forbes. Shouldn't you at least drink some water?"After Mitch had passed out during sex and showed no signs of waking up even hours later, Douglass's patience reached its limit.Come to think of it, he couldn't remember eating anything properly since leaving the gathering and coming to the apartment with Mitch. At this rate, dehydration symptoms would likely come first.Douglass looked disapprovingly at Mitch, whose body was sticky with semen, then got up from the bed. He felt Mitch's grip tightening on his arm, but when Douglass turned away abruptly, Mitch's hand fell limply onto the bed.He went to the living room and opened the refrigerator. Having rarely eaten at home while living alone, he hadn't realized how empty it was. There were only beverages, a container of adobo, and a few sauce bottles that looked like they had been purchased long ago.Douglass irritably took out bottled water and closed the refrigerator. When he returned to the bedroom, he saw Mitch lying face do