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It& #39;s Kim Dokja& #39;s final day at K-Mart. No more flashing fake smiles and arguing with customers over coupons. He& #39;d be able to get a proper office job, make his mom stop worrying, and be able to pay back his student loans. If only this customer could stop being so /fussy/.
"The gum?"
"Five for five."
"Three papers--"
"For the price of two? Yes."
"And the slurpees?"
Sigh. "Buy one, get one free."
"I was sure it was buy one get two free..."
As he continued to reason with the customer, a man in loose clothing watched them from afar.
"Five for five."
"Three papers--"
"For the price of two? Yes."
"And the slurpees?"
Sigh. "Buy one, get one free."
"I was sure it was buy one get two free..."
As he continued to reason with the customer, a man in loose clothing watched them from afar.
It& #39;s not like he couldn& #39;t feel the stare from where he was standing. He simply couldn& #39;t be bothered. A lousy patron was enough. Did he want to deal with a potential lecher? No. Even if said lecher was a little handsome he& #39;d like to accrue some good karma.
"It& #39;ll be 68.71."
"It& #39;ll be 68.71."
As he began to hand over the items in succession, the lid of one of the drinks uncovered. Before he could do anything, the iced drink unceremoniously slipped onto the customer& #39;s front and glazed blue liquid all the way down to the pants. In a quick motion, hands gripped his shirt
and proceeded to tug his collar. & #39;Not again,& #39; he thought. Guess even he couldn& #39;t avoid trouble.
"What was that for!"
He wanted to rub his temples. "Apologies, sir. I didn& #39;t mean for that to happen." Eyeing the stains, Dokja wanted to laugh. & #39;Better than before at least."
"What was that for!"
He wanted to rub his temples. "Apologies, sir. I didn& #39;t mean for that to happen." Eyeing the stains, Dokja wanted to laugh. & #39;Better than before at least."
Although it really wasn& #39;t his fault, he didn& #39;t want to drag things out. "I& #39;ll offer to pay for the stains."
"I have work in five minutes--" & #39;And you were ordering a slurpee?& #39; "--I want a hand written apology. And I want to speak to your manager."
"Manager is out today."
"I have work in five minutes--" & #39;And you were ordering a slurpee?& #39; "--I want a hand written apology. And I want to speak to your manager."
"Manager is out today."
The other person huffed. "Then corporate!"
Coporate? What did this guy think they were? A*azon? "We& #39;re just a small family company. Currently there isn& #39;t any department you can readily call." Covering his mouth with his sleeve, Kim Dokja concealed a smirk. "I& #39;m the best here."
Coporate? What did this guy think they were? A*azon? "We& #39;re just a small family company. Currently there isn& #39;t any department you can readily call." Covering his mouth with his sleeve, Kim Dokja concealed a smirk. "I& #39;m the best here."
Multiple veins bulged from the person& #39;s head. When he heard Kim Dokja& #39;s response, a fist went and hurled itself into his face. Before he could dodge or retaliate, a hand stilled the oncoming blow.
"Tch. You& #39;re blocking my way."
"Tch. You& #39;re blocking my way."
"Don& #39;t you see we& #39;re in the middle of something? Scram!"
"I& #39;m a paying customer. Why should I move?" Calmly, the man in sweatpants and sneakers handed over two protein bars. Kim Dokja scanned them, fully ignoring the man with his mouth agape.
"Uh, hello?"
"I& #39;m a paying customer. Why should I move?" Calmly, the man in sweatpants and sneakers handed over two protein bars. Kim Dokja scanned them, fully ignoring the man with his mouth agape.
"Uh, hello?"
"That& #39;ll be 4.98."
"For protein bars?"
Dokja shrugged. "Name brand."
Clicking his tongue, a crisp five was passed in exchange for the bars and two pennies. He was just about to leave when a blue finger poked a stain right into his chest.
"Want me to report you too?"
"For protein bars?"
Dokja shrugged. "Name brand."
Clicking his tongue, a crisp five was passed in exchange for the bars and two pennies. He was just about to leave when a blue finger poked a stain right into his chest.
"Want me to report you too?"
"Sir he doesn& #39;t work here."
"But he has the nerve to insult someone like me. You both do!"
What a nuisance. "Attempted physical assault and bothering an innocent bystander. Do you think I won& #39;t call police?"
"Hmph," he bit his lip. "Let& #39;s see who& #39;ll be calling the police."
"But he has the nerve to insult someone like me. You both do!"
What a nuisance. "Attempted physical assault and bothering an innocent bystander. Do you think I won& #39;t call police?"
"Hmph," he bit his lip. "Let& #39;s see who& #39;ll be calling the police."
Outside: annoyed.
Inside: annoyed but also chanting "it& #39;s my last day" like a mantra.
Did he really want to do this? Did he want to act polite? Couldn& #39;t he just throw caution in the wind?
"Alright. I& #39;ve had enough. First you nah about non-existent deals. Strike one."
Inside: annoyed but also chanting "it& #39;s my last day" like a mantra.
Did he really want to do this? Did he want to act polite? Couldn& #39;t he just throw caution in the wind?
"Alright. I& #39;ve had enough. First you nah about non-existent deals. Strike one."
"Then you have the nerve to act like I purposefully loosened your drink and spilled it all over you. News flash!" His words carried bite, acidic and pissy. He wasn& #39;t doing this. "I don& #39;t know you. Why would I try to get involved with someone who doesn& #39;t affect me? Strike two!"
"And strike three," a third finger, his middle one, flipped up. "Physical assault. I can pay for your suit, no problem. But see those?" He lifted a pinky and pointed upwards. "Good old security cameras. They& #39;ll be perfect for a police report. And you& #39;ll get new clothes!"
Forget the color on his clothes. The deeper blue lie in the blown out veins that ran across his forehead.
He could care less. He was being polite before. But so what if he was fired? He already had an out.
"Do you know who I am?"
"A person I need to file a report for?"
He could care less. He was being polite before. But so what if he was fired? He already had an out.
"Do you know who I am?"
"A person I need to file a report for?"
He huffed and tucked in his arms. "You& #39;ll regret trying me. Wherever you go, I& #39;ll make sure it& #39;s like a living hell! Just wait until--huh?"
Suddenly the stranger gripped the man& #39;s shoulder and put something his hand. A plain white business card. Even though they were both close
Suddenly the stranger gripped the man& #39;s shoulder and put something his hand. A plain white business card. Even though they were both close
he couldn& #39;t read what it said. But for some reason, the man& #39;s eyes popped from his sockets. "You& #39;re--"
"Let him pay for your suit. Leave. Or else."
Laughing nervously, man shook his head so hard Dokja thought he& #39;d snap his neck. "No need, no need! It was my mistake!" What?
"Let him pay for your suit. Leave. Or else."
Laughing nervously, man shook his head so hard Dokja thought he& #39;d snap his neck. "No need, no need! It was my mistake!" What?
"Then what about--"
His sentence didn& #39;t finish. The person who had berated him and almost punched him bowed a full 90 degrees, lowering his head enough to make it touch the counter. "I apologize! Please ignore what happened today! I overreacted!" He scratched his head, laughing
His sentence didn& #39;t finish. The person who had berated him and almost punched him bowed a full 90 degrees, lowering his head enough to make it touch the counter. "I apologize! Please ignore what happened today! I overreacted!" He scratched his head, laughing
a strained smile on his face. "I& #39;ll be on my way!" As his foot stepped in more blue liquid, he giggled again. & #39;Did he go crazy?& #39;
"Do you need me to pay for repairs? Clean up?"
Pay for repairs? Speechless, Kim Dokja could only decline silently, making sure his jaw was shut.
"Do you need me to pay for repairs? Clean up?"
Pay for repairs? Speechless, Kim Dokja could only decline silently, making sure his jaw was shut.
"Yes. Please arrange for clean up services."
"Huh?" Back to his senses, he raised his hands. What was this other guy saying? "That& #39;s unnecessary. Just," he breathed in and out, "just leave. And don& #39;t come back."
"I won& #39;t, I promise!" & #39;Okay, he wasn& #39;t crazy, he was insane.& #39;
"Huh?" Back to his senses, he raised his hands. What was this other guy saying? "That& #39;s unnecessary. Just," he breathed in and out, "just leave. And don& #39;t come back."
"I won& #39;t, I promise!" & #39;Okay, he wasn& #39;t crazy, he was insane.& #39;
As he exited, the customer left only him and the stranger standing in the store, the only sounds being the flickering lights and droplets of melting sugar hitting linoleum tiles.
Kim Dokja had half the mind to understand this wasn& #39;t just because of him. "Thank you. And sorry."
Kim Dokja had half the mind to understand this wasn& #39;t just because of him. "Thank you. And sorry."
The stranger didn& #39;t respond. All he did was nod and leave, the sliding doors closing behind broad shoulders. But he did leave behind the business card from earlier. Curious, Kim Dokja picked it up.
"Center of Murim Tech. and Supplies
Co-founder and CEO
Yoo Joonghyuk"
"Center of Murim Tech. and Supplies
Co-founder and CEO
Yoo Joonghyuk"
A CEO? A big shot was his backer? But something didn& #39;t feel right. Mesmerized, Kim Dokja opened his phone and pressed his finger on his mail app, sliding through various promotions and spam from colleagues and advertisers alike. Finally, he clicked on one email, one he got a week
earlier.
& #39;Congratulations, Kim Dokja!
We would like to inform you that you have been approved to begin training for a beginner tech support position at one of our esteemed branches at Murim Tech! You& #39;ll be starting--& #39;
He didn& #39;t finish reading.
& #39;Congratulations, Kim Dokja!
We would like to inform you that you have been approved to begin training for a beginner tech support position at one of our esteemed branches at Murim Tech! You& #39;ll be starting--& #39;
He didn& #39;t finish reading.
Like a man possessed, Kim Dokja looked back and forth at the card and his phone. He rubbed both the ink on the paper and his eyes multiple times, as if some typo was hidden either in the email or the card itself. But it was embossed and signed. There was no mistaking it.
The person he saw before was going to be his new boss.
Kim Dokja sucked in a breath and looked at the mess in front of him. "Oh /shit/."
Kim Dokja sucked in a breath and looked at the mess in front of him. "Oh /shit/."
