CH 6.5

“You better tie your tie well.”

As I took my hands off after tightening the loose necktie, Yeon Woojeong blinked his eyes slowly. His neck looked warm because he wore a turtleneck t-shirt under his shirt. It was fortunate even though he wore no scarf.

Yeon Woojeong looked down as the playfulness subsided a bit from his face, then he fiddled with the necktie.

“Okay. See you.”

“Yeah.”

Silence came as he left. Usually, the time would feel very long, but now that I got a job, the time will move fast.

After having breakfast, I went out to copy the bankbook. I changed my clothes at 10, then I wandered around for about 40 minutes. I left home when it was past 50. At 10:55 I arrived at the convenience store and came inside.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning.”

The employee behind the cashier’s desk greeted me with a smile. The boss approached me, led me to a table, then extended some papers.

“This is the employment contract, you can just read and sign it.”

This was new because I didn’t receive this when I worked in the barbecue restaurant. I guessed the content was about the same, so I just checked on the work time and the hourly wage. Once I wrote my name and signed it, a copy was given to me.

“I’ll stop coming today, so learn well from Jihee. Jihee.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Teach him well.”

“Of course.”

I liked the boss’s moderately indifferent attitude. The uninterested one was better than the one, who said do your work well and so forth with fiery eyes.

The boss left right away. The employee, who was at the cashier’s desk, approached me.

“Hello. I’m Seo Jihee.”

“I’m Kim Jiho.”

“You have a beautiful name. I look forward to working with you. I’ll give you the vest, so wear it first.”

Seo Jihee went to the stockroom and came out holding a vest with a name tag. When I wore the vest, it felt a bit small, but it was wearable. There was only ‘STAFF’ written on the name tag, there was no name like hers.

“The name tag will be given once you work a bit longer.”

“Yes.”

“You’re twenty, right?”

“Yes.”

“I’m twenty-five.”

When she stole glances at me, I thought she was kind of a shy person, but now she looked bright and sociable. I was glad that she didn’t seem bad to work with.

“Fortunately, this is the time for the fresh food to arrive. The logistics will arrive twice in your shift, so I’ll teach you how to sort it then. Let’s take it easy today. I’ll teach you how to use the cash register slowly, so when the customers come, take a look at how I do it from the side.”

“Yes.”

I quietly thought over her words and then asked.

“What is fresh food?”

“Ah, it means food with short shelf life like triangle kimbap and hamburger. Foods that need to be discarded after the expiration date. It will be discarded in the afternoon, so if you want to take it when you leave work, take it.”

“Yes.”

I nodded, but Seo Jihee suddenly laughed. As I stared at her, she covered her lips and coughed.

“You’ve been here a few times, right? I remember you.”

“Why?”

“Oh… Because you’re easy to remember?”

She heaved her shoulders and smiled. I touched the bandaid on my cheekbone. It looked like it could be removed soon.

“Did you hurt your face?”

“Yes.”

“My, it must hurt.”

The conversation stopped because a customer walked in. The man walked around the display racks, took snacks and cup ramyeons, and put them down on the cashier’s desk. Then, he pointed behind us.

“That one.”

“Yes.”

He said ‘that,’ but Seo Jihee understood it well and took a pack of cigarettes, then put it on the cashier’s desk. I was close to grimacing because the cigarette smell reeked from the man, but I held back. Suddenly, I remembered Yeon Woojeong. He was neat even though he smoked.

“Besides the cigarettes, it’s good to learn where the other things are located. Well, you don’t need to memorize it in advance. You’ll remember it as you work.”

“Yes.”

“At least our store doesn’t have many rude customers. Most people usually leave after buying what they need… Ah, there are times when the old men working in the construction there come here after drinking, but please be patient even though they are annoying. It gets troubling if a fight starts.”

Seo Jihee talked a lot. The talks she did in detail were mostly related to work, so I listened to her well. After the supply came, we practically only talked about work. I learned one by one and kept it in mind. At first, I stumbled a bit and struggled to understand, but as time passed, I got it roughly.

“It’s hard, right?”

“It is okay.”

“I heard you worked in a barbecue restaurant before? Don’t you think this is better than the barbecue restaurant? It was really hard when I worked in a barbecue restaurant.”

“Yes. This is better than that place.”

I wasn’t good with words. I had nothing I was curious about or wanted to say to other people. I only wanted to work when working. At the barbecue restaurant, I could use serving customers as a reason to stay away from other employees, but here, there were only two employees, and we had to stay close, so that was a con. Still, I didn’t feel uncomfortable. This person looked like she didn’t really care even though I didn’t talk much.

As I worked, learned, and listened to Seo Jihee, the time went fast. Somehow, it was forty past six already. As though she had the same thought, Seo Jihee brought it up.

“Woah, time goes by fast.”

“Yes.”

“Time went fast as I teach you, Jiho. This is good.”

I nodded to the positive remarks, and the door opened. My head and Seo Jihee turned to the door.

“Welcome.”

The one who opened the door and walked in was Yeon Woojeong. It was kind of foreign to look at him who wore an expressionless face in this kind of place. He walked slowly while letting out stepping sounds and stopped before the cashier’s desk.

“Hel…lo.”

His gaze moved past Seo Jihee and stopped as he looked at me. Yeon Woojeong stared at me, then he scanned the vest and name tag I wore. I casually accepted his gaze.

“The cigarette, this one, right?”

He didn’t say anything, but Seo Jihee took a package of cigarettes and put it on the desk. Yeon Woojeong then finally looked away from me and answered a beat later.

“Yes, thank you. By the way, there’s someone new here?”

“Ah, yes! He’s a hot new employee starting today.”

“I see. He must have a lot to teach.”

“Nah, he’s really a talent. I don’t need to teach much.”

The two got along very well. It was like they had been talking to each other for a long time. I was looking absentmindedly, and Yeon Woojeong handed out his card, then stared at me with an ambiguous face—between smiling and not.

He didn’t show that he knew me, but as he looked at me like this, I felt strange for no reason. Yeon Woojeong finally looked away again when Seo Jihee finished the payment.

“Thank you for coming.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Yeon Woojeong left the convenience store. A sigh exploded from my side.

“Woah, this is my first time talking for a long time with that person.”

“…”

“Lucky me.”

I flinched unconsciously. I quietly examined Seo Jihee’s expression.

“… why?”

“Sorry? Ah! That person… don’t you think he’s really handsome?”

Seo Jihee covered her mouth and faked a cough. She stole a glance at me with an awkward expression, then laughed.

“Doesn’t he look so even in men’s eyes? But he is, well… should I say he’s kind of scary-looking? That’s why I couldn’t really talk to him. But as I heard him talk today, he sounds really gentle. Right?”

“…”

“I am always curious about what he does. Damn, it’s such a waste if he’s only an office worker.”

I felt weird as I listened to her muttering. Handsome? It wasn’t wrong, but I never thought about it simply like that. Besides, the fact that she remembered Yeon Woojeong, who was only a customer made…

“Ah, I’m being silly. Let’s see, the time is… I think you can go home now?”

“But there’s still 10 minutes left.”

“Ay, this is your first day. If you’re alone, you have to wait until the next shift comes, but since I’m here, you can go early today.”

With Seo Jihee’s continuous recommendation, I left the convenience store a few minutes earlier. As I walked out and hitten by the cold air, I realized that I had a hectic day.