-"You're officially out of your mind," Yashu gasped, her face frozen in sheer, unadulterated speechlessness.
I knew my decision sounded reckless. After surviving a nightmare like that, any sane person would have rested for at least a week. But a persistent voice deep inside urged me to move. Who knew how much time my mother had left if I delayed any longer?
I glanced toward the main dining area, where customers were noisily chatting over their drinks. That suffocating sensation washed over me again. They looked human, yet every gesture and mechanical laugh exuded an unnerving, artificial wrongness. Ever since I stepped out of the portal, I could feel dozens of bulging, unseen eyes pinned firmly on my back, yet whenever I looked, I couldn't pinpoint exactly who they belonged to.
I turned and asked Yashu softly:
-"How long have you been working here?"
-"Two weeks," she replied evasively, her eyes narrowing into slits. "Why? Are you... noticing it too?"
-"Yeah. There's something deeply wrong with these customers."
Yashu's face darkened instantly. She pulled me into a secluded corner, well out of earshot from Mr. Ming's office, and whispered:
-"To be honest, during my first few days, my skin crawled just like yours. But I was flat broke. I just had to swallow my fear and suck it up. That's reality for you - sometimes, poverty is far more terrifying than ghosts."
-"Suddenly, the Hell Gate doesn't seem so bad after all," I muttered, offering a grim, cynical smile to break the tension.
Yashu sighed, as if trying to reassure both of us:
-"It'll be fine. I've managed to survive here for two weeks. Aside from the excessive staring, they haven't made any aggressive moves."
I nodded slowly, forced to agree. Being stared at by creepy entities was still a luxury compared to wandering the lethal streets of this world in the dead of night.
Ting!
The sharp ring of a service bell cut through our conversation. Yashu glanced toward the lobby and hurriedly nudged my shoulder:
-"Move fast, a customer is calling. Time to earn your keep."
I took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the partition. Instantly, the ambient noise of the cafe seemed to die down into a bizarre, heavy silence. Every single head turned toward me simultaneously - lifeless, hollow eyes completely devoid of light. Stiff, identical smiles were plastered across their lips, as if they were audience members watching a pathetic puppet show. That collective gaze sent a violent chill down my spine, but I forced myself to keep my head low and keep walking.
I approached the table where the bell had chimed, forcing my voice into a standard, professional tone:
-"What can I get for you today?"
The two customers - a man and a woman - didn't answer immediately. They simply stared, their empty eyes boring into me as if trying to peel back my skin. Under that suffocating pressure, I suppressed my rising panic, steeling my mind with cold detachment: Let them stare. As long as they don't bite, they're just background noise.
Finally, the woman shifted her gaze to the menu and pointed to a line:
-"Two milk coffees and a plate of pastries, please."
-"Certainly, please wait a moment," I replied, feeling like I had just narrowly escaped an interrogation.
I hurried back to the bar, grabbed a pair of ceramic cups, and set to work. The espresso machine hummed, emitting a gentle hiss of steam. I poured the beans into the grinder, letting the harsh sound of fracturing coffee beans drown out my thoughts. After tamping the grounds firmly, I locked the portafilter into the group head. Rich, aromatic brown liquid began to stream down, bleeding into the thick layer of condensed milk waiting at the bottom of the cups. I quickly plated a slice of cake to finish the order.
Compared to fighting for my life against tentacles, this job was almost laughable.
I served the coffees first, walking with measured steps to ensure not a single drop spilled under the watchful gaze of the patrons. Setting the tray down, I gave a polite nod:
-"Here are your drinks."
-"Thank you, dear," the elegant-looking woman smiled back.
Her words made me pause. So these bizarre, off-looking entities still practiced human etiquette? Or was I just growing overly paranoid?
I stole a glance at Qing Yashu, who was briskly handling a stack of bills at the register. Watching her move with such practiced ease, I realized my workload was significantly lighter than hers.
Ting-ting!
Another table bell shattered the quiet.
I adjusted my uniform and headed toward the back corner. However, as the distance closed, my footsteps abruptly halted. The customer sitting there was exceptionally built, his sheer physical presence towering over the small table like an immovable pillar.
The overhead cafe lights caught his striking, platinum-white hair, casting sharp shadows over a face that practically radiated supreme arrogance. But it was those unmistakable crimson eyes that made my heart skip a beat.
Chen Feng...!? My mind reeled.
I forced my breathing into a steady rhythm, burying my shock beneath the blank mask of a professional server. I stepped up to the table:
-"What would you like to order, sir?"
Saying those words felt incredibly surreal. Using a submissive, polite tone with a ruthless powerhouse like him felt entirely wrong.
Chen Feng was leaning back carelessly in his chair, his imposing aura swallowing the space around him. Hearing my voice, his crimson eyes lazily drifted upward. The moment our gazes locked, I saw him flinch slightly - a brief flash of genuine surprise darting across his eyes. He narrowed them, his voice dropping into a low, dangerous rumble:
-"You... work here?"
-"I do," I replied flatly, suppressing a sigh.
Truthfully, I didn't know if this guy counted as an ally. We had just survived a life-or-death trial together, a place where the line between living and dying was paper-thin. We hadn't exchanged a single friendly word back then, but we were, at the very least, familiar faces. Yet, the air between us now felt thick with a suffocating, heavy fog.
-"Give me a black coffee. No milk," he commanded coldly, the sharp authority of someone used to absolute control dripping from his words.
-"Understood. It will be out shortly," I nodded and turned on my heel.
Walking back to the counter, my mind raced with questions. Isn't this guy usually joined at the hip with that heterochromia girl? They were practically a unit in the trial. Why is he lurking around this cafe entirely alone?
I shook my head vigorously, forcing the distractions away. Whatever his reasons are, it's none of my business. My only job right now is to make his coffee.
I slipped behind the bar and repeated the brewing process. As the dark, thick espresso slowly began to fill the cup, I stared aimlessly into the rising steam. Through the haze, my eyes drifted back to Chen Feng. He looked completely at ease, exuding a casual, unbothered confidence.
I let out a faint, bitter smile in my mind. While Yashu and I were constantly on edge, suffocating under the stares of these hollow customers and the giant eye-sun in the sky, this man sat there as if he owned the place. We truly lived in completely different worlds.
Once the machine finished pouring, I cut the switch. But before I could place the pitch-black cup onto the serving tray, a shadow fell over the counter.
It was Qing Yashu.
-"Let me see how the new recruit is handling things," she murmured with a light, casual grin.
Without waiting for my answer, she reached out and picked up Chen Feng's coffee cup. She held it up to eye level, inspecting the rich dark liquid for a brief, silent second. Her slender fingers slowly rotated the ceramic rim, her gaze unreadable beneath her blue hair. Then, with a soft, satisfied hum, she placed it back down on my tray exactly as it had been.
-"Not bad, 'student.' Go ahead and serve it before it gets cold," she smiled encouragingly before turning back to her register.
I frowned slightly, a faint sense of oddity brushing against my thoughts, but I didn't have time to dwell on it. Lifting the tray with the hot, black coffee, I walked slowly back toward Chen Feng.
All around me, those hollow, soulless eyes in the cafe continued to watch my every step, drowning me in an overwhelming wave of silent, terrifying wrongness.