Chapter 52 – Chapter 3: De Clácio Bar – 1
That night.
I went to a bar called ‘De Clácio Bar’.
The employees immediately recognized me not as a customer, but as an employee who had come for an interview.
I met the owner of the store.
He glanced at my face.
“Passed!”
And a set of clothes was held in my hand.
“… What is this?!”
Not an apron, not a dress.
It’s a strange outfit.
I tried it on first…
Haha-.
There were a lot of problems with this.
It’s the same as an apron in that it exposes the shoulders and chest.
Because the length is connected to the short skirt, the top and bottom are very empty.
The air touches the entire body.
It was almost like I was naked.
There is a lot of fat sticking out, and the belly button is visible.
The fabric is so thin that it seems to show right away when it gets wet.
“Ugh…”
Now I see that other employees are wearing the same clothes and guiding customers.
There was no sign of embarrassment at all, as if he had gotten used to these clothes.
First, I learned simple ways to serve customers.
The work wasn’t difficult.
It is a simple task of sitting next to the guest, pouring drinks, and chatting.
They told him to follow the customer’s orders as much as possible, but to call a nearby security guard if the demands were too strong.
“Finally, if we agree with the guest, we will use a room on the third floor.”
“‘Agreement’… “What?”
“Good service deserves a big tip. Look over there. “There’s one going.”
The male employee pointed towards the stairs.
An employee was going up to the third floor with a customer.
The top of the stairs was much darker and gloomier.
Roughly… I thought I knew what the third floor was used for.
“Jeon… “I don’t think I’ll have anything to write about.”
“Well, if you are, then so be it. But just for your information, keep that in mind. “You don’t get paid.”
“Yes?”
“You can use our facilities and earn as many tips as you want. The facility usage fee is 5 gold per day. “It’s very cheap compared to other bars.”
In other words, ‘passing’ did not mean becoming an employee of this store, but rather giving one the ‘qualification’ to work at this store.
And that’s by paying a daily fee.
… So what happens if you don’t earn more than 5 gold a day?
Is it still a debt?
It seemed like that.
The employees were actively enticing customers to somehow earn more tips.
“Kyaa- welcome! Will you play with me?”
“Soniim- you made me feel good last time-! “You remember me, right?”
“Come on! I’ll provide you with a lot of services! Huh?”
We will do whatever it takes to attract the attention of customers.
He put on extravagant makeup, took off his clothes, and openly grabbed the customer’s arm and rubbed his chest.
… What, what?!
I was rigid due to the shocking working conditions and explicit atmosphere.
“Is the lady there new?”
A male customer wearing a brown coat and a fedora approached.
“Ah yes! “I’m new.”
“Hey – a pretty and cute friend came in.”
“Thank you…”
“Why is it so frozen? Are you new and haven’t gotten used to it yet? Haha! Are you okay? Let’s talk about it together. Follow me.”
Then he wrapped his arms around my shoulders as if hugging me.
I was embarrassed and embarrassed, but I was guided by the customer and moved to a corner seat.
As soon as I sat down, expensive alcohol was served.
I asked him to pour it into a glass, and the man took a quick gulp.
I was a little worried, but the conversation was more normal than I expected.
The customer asked why I came to work at this store.
When I answered that I came because I needed money, he laughed out loud and said that this was the first time he had given such an obvious yet honest answer.
The more we talked, the more the tension eased.
Customers just drink and talk.
He didn’t show overt interest in me or make unreasonable requests.
Somehow the story of my hometown came out.
When I told him about life in a mountain village, he laughed as if it was interesting.
“Oh, there are only 50 people in the village?”
“Yes.”
“There are 50 people living in my mansion. “It’s like a village, isn’t it?”
“Ahaha, then… It must be difficult.”
“It’s hard? I? Why do you think that?”
“The chief of our village always made every decision carefully. For our well-being. If you have 50 guests… It must be a heavy burden on your shoulders.”
“… Hehe.”
He smiled.
Being drunk and in a moderately good mood.
“Haha! I never thought the day would come when I would worry about the employees here. You have a slightly different vibe. “I’m different from women who only want to take money out of their pockets.”
The guest sighed deeply.
“Everyone says I’m the happiest guy. Because I have a lot of money. Of course, it’s true to some extent. It’s better than no money. But that’s not all. Rather, the thing about money is that the more you have, the more you lose. When I look around, at some point I… “He’s become a fool with a lot of money.”
He broke his glass and took a gulp.
Dalgak.
The face of the customer who put down his glass was very dark.
“My best friend died a few days ago. The person who truly understood me was… “It was just him.”
“… “It’s sad.”
“What is your name?”
“‘Tia’.”
“Tia. “Can you comfort me?”
He tilted his head and rested it on my shoulder.
I was a bit worried about what to do, but decided to just stroke his hair.
Softly.
The customer said in a gloomy voice.
“Now I won’t have anyone called ‘friend’ anymore.”
“… Just make new friends.”
“Is that possible? “Do you think that the servants in my mansion are not masters who need to serve me, but trees that generously give me money?”
“I can make it.”
He chuckled.
“This is such an idealistic idea, Tia. In Deseo, as long as you have money, you can’t have true friends. Even with new people, once you get to know them a little, they will proudly come and ask you to borrow money. I’m not curious about the person I am, but I’m more curious about the money I have. “I have encountered so many people like that in my life.”
“If you don’t have money… “Wouldn’t it be possible to make true friends?”
“Give up your property? Haha. “It’s a disappointing answer.”
I quietly shook my head.
“No. I heard there is a saying in Deseo: [There is no good will without a cost].”
“These are words you must keep in mind.”
“One day. The customer met someone who gave him goodwill without compensation. What do you think?”
“… A pretentious person trying to satisfy his own moral vanity?”
“What kind of person was the customer’s friend?”
“He was a person who understood me and cared about me.”
Some people closed their eyes.
“Customer. I also have friends. We are… We were so close that we could tell what each other was thinking just by looking into each other’s eyes. That friend was always nice to me. He listened to everything I asked for. Did that friend really want something in return from me, or was he being pretentious in being nice to me? Was the customer’s friend like that?”
“Tia. That’s an innocent story from my childhood. As long as you become an adult and have money… Such a beautiful relationship cannot occur.”
I took a deep breath.
“There is a man who was with me until I arrived in Deseo. When I was sick and suffering, he let me rest in peace, and when I was in trouble because I had no money, he sold his treasures to help me. “If it weren’t for that help, I wouldn’t have even come this far and would have collapsed.”
“He even sold his treasure to help? “He really is a great person.”
“Still, he didn’t want anything from me. Even though he owed me a debt of gratitude, he didn’t even try to ask for forgiveness in return for helping me. I think that is ‘goodwill without cost’ and the beginning of the process of understanding each other.”
The customer responded sarcastically.
“But Tia. Even if that were the case, what difference would it make? The people in this city are different from you. These are people who ask for cake if you give them bread.”
“Then please give me the cake.”
“… “What?”
“If you just give without expecting anything in return, people will think. ‘Why do I do stupid things?’ Isn’t it only when you ask that question that someone who truly tries to understand the customer emerges?”
Our eyes met.
His eyes, which had been clouded with sadness, seemed to have cleared up a bit.
“Haha… That’s right. “It’s like you’re giving me this valuable advice right now without receiving any tips.”
He put down his drink and stood up.
“Thank you, Tia. I realized a lot after meeting you today. Here’s a tip. Please accept it.”
Jinglang.
40 gold was placed on the table.
I was so surprised that I covered my mouth with my hand.
I just wanted to sincerely comfort the customer, so I just told my thoughts straight.
40 gold felt too much.
However, the customer said with a face that he must accept it.
“Tia. You are not meant to be in a place like this. When I’m talking to you, it’s like back in the day… I can feel the character of an honorable nobleman who was not swayed by things like money. Even though it’s a small amount of money, I hope these tips will help you when you find another job.”
“… Thank you.”
“Well then, I hope we can meet somewhere else next time.”
The guest put his fedora on again and left.
40 gold.
To be exact, 35 gold after deducting the usage fee of 5 gold.
That was the profit on the first day.
* * *
I went to work at the bar the next day as well.
The customer I met yesterday advised me to look for another job.
I couldn’t do that because I didn’t have enough time.
Now this bar was the only way to make a lot of money.
It’s not dangerous, and if you can earn 30 gold just by pouring a moderate amount of alcohol and talking.
Because there was no reason to refuse.
As soon as the store opened, new customers came in.
There were five middle-aged men.
“The staff there! “Someone brings a pretty girl!”
“Yes, sir!”
The employee tapped my arm.
“You go.”
That’s how I started serving drinks for the second time.
I was secretly looking forward to what we would talk about this time.
They only talk about the fighting competition taking place next week. It wasn’t of much interest to me.
Instead of interfering, he quietly filled my glass.
The smell of alcohol was getting stronger.
A customer gestured to me.
“Hey. You. “Come here.”
“Me, me?”
“Okay. “Are you the only one who can come close now?”
I hesitated to get closer, but suddenly he hugged my waist tightly.
“… Oh?”
“You should come closer. Like this. Hehe.”
The customer’s face brightened, and she smiled.
“We just talk among ourselves. “Are you sad that I called you and didn’t even give you a tip?”
“Oh, no…”
“That is. It’s because you don’t know how to seduce customers. “Now, I’ll teach you how to pour a delicious drink.”
He sat me down on his lap and handed me an empty glass.
The moment you try to pour wine by tilting the bottle.
The customer suddenly pushed the bottle up with his glass and shouted.
“Uh-huh! That’s not how you do it. “You should bow your head more.”
“Like this?”
“More!”
I bent down closely and poured the drink.
Hehe… Okay. “You have to show your cleavage subtly like that to make the drink more enjoyable.”
I felt that the customers’ eyes looking at me had changed.
