Harley Spencer. Scott Spencer.

  God, I'm so stupid. I've been tutored by my friend's father, let alone my new boss. The last time I met him was through a voice call, so meeting him in person and in [Isekai] was out of left field for me. I can tell from Harley's face buried on the table that he's speechless at this plot twist.

  "Okay, you two. Start talking. How the hell did you hire Lucas?" Harley demanded. "There's no way he was hired just when he quit his job at Goodie's."

  "If I tell you I met him at his old workplace during my day off, would you believe me?"

  Mr. Spencer flashes a sheepish grin while I shake my head. Well, he's not lying about most of it. We did meet in real life for the first time back when I was working at my shitty job in Goodie's. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't able to get out of my old life full of low wages, backstabbing employees, and a dumbass manager.

  Unfortunately, that's not enough to convince Harley to drop his suspicions about his father. I can also feel his glare aimed at me. That's enough to quake my boots!

  "Look, I understand you're confused and frustrated at your friend's appearance here. But what I said is the truth. Even if I knew his situation behind that viral clip, it would be wrong for me not to help him." Mr. Spencer sighed. "Besides, he already said yes when I mentioned to him about the barista job. It solved both of our problems and just in time for the upcoming rush hour in a few days."

  He let out a chuckle next. I'm surprised he hasn't mentioned anything about .

  "I want to believe you. Really, I do. But you have a habit of leaving out important details, and that's something I'm worried about you and Lucas." Harley sighs while looking at me. "But if Lucas really agreed on the part-time job, then I won't stop him."

  Now it's my turn to sigh out of relief. At least he's the type to listen before jumping the gun.

  "Either way, Lucas won't be manning the espresso machine right now. I'm still training him right before his true first day on the job this weekend. We're just adjusting what works for his schedule, along with paperwork and daily reports. Right now, you should head upstairs. You look exhausted."

  Harley sighs again while staring at his luggage sitting behind him. "Yeah, you're right. Just give me a holler if you want me to do some work."

  I then watch him climb up the stairs behind the counter and into the kitchen. After that, I turn to Mr. Spencer and ask, "You haven't told him that you met me on [Isekai], right?"

  "I would have broken our promise if I did. Knowing my son, I know better than to stick my nose where they don't belong," He answered. "And don't worry, he has partial awareness that I'm playing it as well. It's just that we tend to go off our own paths in the game."

  Makes sense. Since he's a [Role Player], I doubt he's willing to tell his son that he's playing as a strong werewolf living in a hidden village in the forest.

  "Yeah, that's all I need to know. I haven't told him about my [Lycan] experience in [Isekai] either, and I'll leave it at that until he gets lucky with his own [Hidden Quest]." And with that, time to change the topic. "So your café doubles as your house, huh?"

  "Only on the upper floor. I'm just lucky I was able to use this space with my friends' connections. Besides, it's also a good excuse to let Harley stay here when he started college in New York."

  "I see. But I have to ask: Why did he move in with you? Normally, he should have gotten his own apartment by now."

  Mr. Spencer then sighed. "You must have known our family by now, Lucas. After he came out as a trans male, things were never the same. My wife hardly ever talks to him, including phone calls. As for Nelly, it will take more than words to convince her that her "dolled-up sister" is now her brother."

  Right... I guess being transgender is not all roses, as I learned from my experience yesterday. "I still can't believe people were willing to harass or neglect transgender people because they changed their gender."

  "It's not only the transgender community. Most of the LGBTQ+ folks had their own troubles with bullying, ostracism, and violence against them. I heard some of them took their lives at a young age, all because they were trans or gay." Mr. Spencer sighed sadly. "It would take a miracle to stop the transphobia and discrimination against them. Alas, changing the real world isn't as easy as it looks."

  I frowned once I heard his take on this topic. "I guess I'm a part of those folks. Truth to be told, I'm aromantic. I don't know if it counts as part of the LGBTQ+, but I researched more about it when Harley, Bryan, and I learned more about the community. I doubt I have the same burden as your son. But I know how it feels to be different. Not being attracted to girls, nor any interest in getting a girlfriend like other boys back in high school. I'm still wrapping my head around it. Though I'm sure that I'm not alone despite our different orientations."

  "Isn't that the same when you became a [Lycan]?"

  "Huh?" I raise my eyebrow and stare at Mr. Spencer in confusion.

  "In , you have a choice of accepting the bite in my village. The only obstacle standing between you and your decision is your self-esteem," Mr. Spencer explained. "The moment you accept it, your current relationships will never be the same. You can try to hide your [Sub-Race] to the public, but it's only a matter of time until you come out as the real you. That's the same with my son. By coming out, I learned of his issues and researched more about it through family friends and my brother's colleagues' experiences. How they feared their parents and friends won't like his new gender the same way as his old, and the number of cases where transphobic negligence and bullying led to severe consequences. Not to mention how that hate cost innocent lives in the past. Does that remind you of how werewolves were treated in most media?"

  I hum in thought. "You're right in most parts. Werewolves were feared not only for their uncontrollable hunger for chaos, and humans. Most people hate them because they were different from them, and in some cases, they were not fully human. It's partially the same with me being aromantic and Harley being trans. The moment you get bitten or come out, you can't go back to your perceived happy life. And it's even true to this day, not just in [Isekai]."

  To be frank, I wasn't bullied because of my aromantism (it's mostly David's poor perception of my image as a weak pushover). But just the thought of transphobia still happening in the 2050s is wild even for me. I can only do so much for Harley, and I know I have a limit until I can't help him alone anymore.

  "And right now, Harley is still dealing with his oblivious, but stubborn mother and sister." I sighed. "Regardless, I'm not the type to push this issue under the rug. I'll see what I can do for him. Write a story about trans or something that will expand the awareness. It's not much, but it's better than doing nothing."

  It's mostly just talk, but it's true. I'm not only doing this for myself and Harley. I know I'm not alone in a world with no fantasy and romanticism. So I'm doing my part to stop the violence and hate against the LGBTQ+ community.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "That's good to hear, kid." Mr. Spencer walks up to me and gives me a gentle pat on the back. "Even if it's a little effort, it's enough to change the world. Now, come on, let's continue with your training. There's going to be a huge crowd coming tonight, so I want you to put everything you learned today."

  I nod with a smile. "Yes, sir."

  "Uh, uh, uh. In my café, I go by "Master" here. Since you're now one of the proud baristas of Moonlight Star, it's best if you call me by my appropriate title."

  "Master"? I quickly chuckle at the thought of calling Mr. Spencer that nickname. The last time I heard of this cliché was in anime and some Japanese drama shows. Though it does earn me a confused stare from him. "What's so funny?"

  I stop chuckling and take a deep breath to look at Mr. Spencer. "Oh, it's nothing." I take a bow to him. "I'll be your care, Master."

  Mr. Spencer then nods and escorts me back to the counter. "Good. Now let's take care of the cups and dishes as well reviewing today's menu first."

  I heard enough. I didn't expect Lucas to be working in our family café, but hearing all of that is mind-blowing even for me. Either way, I'm not mad that Dad hid something personal from me. He did help Lucas find a job after that crazy incident. I just hope he can take the pressure of rush hours and Karens coming and going every day. For now, I should get the clothes somewhere safe and take a few seconds of snooze.

  At least that's the plan until I hear a ping from my Twiddle app. It looks to be a new Tweed from the official account. So I click on the link and read the contents from the official site.

  A PVP event, huh? I am interested in the costumes part. But I'm not much of a PVP type of guy. If anything, that should be David and his guild's problem since they have a habit of showing off. But I can't help but worry the moment I see this announcement.

  "Harley? Are you done yet? We may need your help on the counter!"

  So much for my rest. I'd better keep this announcement to myself for now. Besides, it's only a matter of time before those two see it.

  Then again, they're also not PVP guys. So there's no chance they will be interested.

  There. That's all of the dishes clean and dry. The espresso machine was more complicated to operate, but simply washing them was almost exhausting. This is only the start of my new part-time job, but I didn't expect this is much work than my old job.

  "Hey, you need my help?" I turn around and see Harley back. This time, his hair is tied up, and he now wears the café apron like me. "You'll be losing your breath if you keep this up alone."

  Well, I appreciate the help of a friend. I back away from the dish rack so he can take them and lay them out on each table. To my surprise, he didn't miss a beat as he carefully placed each utensil in the racks, folded each napkin and placed them in a cup near the espresso machine, and straightened each chair and table. I heard this café had only opened for 4 years, yet Harley did it without breaking a sweat. It then took a few more minutes to check on the cashier and the desserts on display while instructing me on the dos and don'ts of dealing with unruly customers.

  After all of that, he managed to take a seat behind the counter and catch our breath. Since the rush hour is supposed to arrive in 10 minutes or so, I guess all that's left is to pass the time. Which gives me an opportunity to get some answers from Harley. But looking at him panting and wiping off his sweat with a towel from his apron pocket, I heard he was very busy with his project due to circumstances involving lazy project members (I don't blame him, team projects are the worst), but it looks like he wasn't even looking exhausted.

  "Are you okay? You looked like you're about to faint," I asked in concern.

  "Nah, I've dealt with overworking before. If I did too much, Dad would have stopped me by now," Harley answered. "But I should be asking the same question to you, Luke. Barista and waiter work might be too much for a newbie like you. No offense."

  I shake my head. "None taken. But you should already know me by now. I'm willing to try out new things rather than sticking to one skill alone. Whether it's for my writing, gaming, income, or studying, I'm doing everything to learn new skills for the sake of others."

  He chuckles. "Yeah, you don't have to remind me, Mr. Jack Trade Wannabe. As much as I want to commend your efforts, I'm worried you might become more overworked than me. Don't forget this is not your old workplace anymore. You have to relax and go with the flow. That's what Dad taught me when I first worked here."

  He's not wrong. I do need to break my bad habits that I got from working at Goodie's. Now that I don't have a bad boss or bullying colleagues to worry about, I should take it easy like Harley said.

  "By the way, how did you get the job in the first place? I did hear you moved in with your Dad when college came."

  "You're correct. After a few days of arrival and the first week done, Dad asked me to help out at the café every once in a while during my free time. It was only meant for a one-time gig and extra cash in my allowance. But before I knew it, I started to enjoy them to the point I took up a part-time job as a waiter here. It does come with the downside of dealing with Karens from time to time. But I genuinely want his café to thrive, and it would be a nightmare if anything happened to it. Without it, I wouldn't be able to leave my mother's gaze and Nelly's constant need for me to be her mannequin every day."

  I see. In other words, he's just giving back all the love and care his father gave him at his lowest point. I wish one of my parents would do the same with me. But instead...

  No, there's no time for me to think of my irritating past. I need to focus on the present and move on. "At least your life went well. Even if we haven't escaped our tormentors completely."

  Just as I continue the chat, I feel something vibrating in my pocket. I take out my phone and see it's a Twiddle notification from the official [Isekai] account. "[Arena of the Strong]... I didn't expect a PVP event happening after the surprise potion drought event."

  "Probably a way to apologize by announcing it in advance, I guess," Harley commented. "Either way, it's a perfect event for the Vipers to participate after the past two incidents involving their [Dungeon Runs] in that forest. It might not be safe for you to get back to town with those guys trying to show off their strength."

  Harley has a point. Since I'm technically responsible for their two failures, going back to is not going to be easy after all. With my funds running low, the [Quests] in the village might not be enough to keep me afloat in my leveling sessions.

  Unless...

  "Other than [Viper Fangs], who are the potential participants for the event?"

  "According to the forums and Discourse, I doubt those brothers from the rumors would be participating, but there are some interesting players rumored to be an [Insignis] swordsman and some of the [Force Blade] members," Harley guessed. "Other than that, we might run into some randos during the event."

  That's all I want to hear. Maybe I should take this as an opportunity for myself.

  "You're not thinking of joining yourself, are you? You have to be [TML] 15 or above to take on those jerks. Not to mention your kit is not exactly PVP meta worthy."

  Maybe for "Lowry". But for , I can't say the same.

  "Don't worry about me. I'm not the type to join something unprepared. Besides..." I stood up once I see several people are now entering the cafe. "I think I'm done hiding from those jerks. I got something that will teach them not to judge them based on their past experiences."

  I can see him raising his eyebrow before I went to Master to start my training. He didn't say much afterward, but I know he's trying to say not to bother those guys any longer.

  Sorry, Harley. I know you and Bryan are worried about me. But I've made my decision, and it's time to break out of my shell.

  And to do that, it's time I should take my grinding seriously after this.