4 – 4. Chaebol? (4)
I didn’t even consider swearing.
Although anger welled up inside me, I wanted to speak politely.
I wasn’t someone who was good at swearing in the first place.
But seeing the convenience store owner act all high and mighty, swearing was inevitable.
“Well… uh? What, did you say?”
The owner, suddenly on the receiving end of curses, stumbled through his words in evident confusion.
Soon recovering from the chaos, the owner blinked and said,
“Are you cursing at me right now?”
“Yeah. You, monkey-faced guy with a golden tint. Who else here deserves to be cursed, if not you?”
I confirmed the curiosity in the owner’s eyes, wondering how a ‘monkey-faced guy with a golden tint’ looked.
Well, he looks just like you.
To ease the mental attack, the convenience store owner blinked his eyes a few times.
Then, after scrutinizing me up and down, he opened his mouth harshly.
“Ha. Where does a kid with blood not even dry on his head get off swearing? Are you insane?”
“Oh my. Then why is someone as mature as you cursing at a part-timer?”
I didn’t turn my head.
I didn’t avert my eyes.
At that moment, all my focus and senses were directed at the convenience store owner.
But it was felt.
The peculiar gaze of the part-timer behind the counter.
From her perspective, it might have seemed a bit awkward.
“Who do you think you are, meddling like this?”
“Do you have no shame?”
If I were to ask, well…
It seemed like there wouldn’t be much to say.
I’m usually not one to care about other people’s business, but now I kind of want to.
Why?
Because that jerk is being a real pain.
“What a crazy bastard. Where does he think he is causing a scene in someone else’s shop? Should he be dragged to the police station for obstructing business to come to his senses?”
“Obstructing business? Huh? Business. Right. You shouldn’t disturb business. In that case, I guess I’ll have to help with the business.”
I walked back towards the ramen, not because of the ramen.
It’s because of the bag I left there.
I loved you, my ramen.
I won’t forget you.
Anyway.
With the Boston bag slung over my shoulder, I returned to the counter.
And, of course, I grabbed everything within reach without discriminating against any item.
And naturally,
Woohoo. Thud. Thud.
Placing all the items on the counter, I said to the part-timer,
“Please ring them up.”
“…Right now, in this situation?”
“Yes. It’s urgent.”
As I caught the strange gaze of the part-timer, the boss beside me let out a hollow laugh.
“hehehe. This kid’s a real nutcase. Looked like one, and he truly is.”
Snap.
“Hey. Why are you ringing that up? Can’t you grasp the situation?”
Snap. Snap. Snap.
As if ignoring the boss’s rambling words, the part-timer scanned the barcodes.
Instead, she shot me a curious look.
Curious?
About what I’m going to do?
If you knew what was in this bag, you wouldn’t be so curious.
Zzzz.
The sound of the bag zipper opening made the eyes of the convenience store boss and the part-timer shake intensely.
Understand.
I was shaken too when I first saw 7 billion in bundles of 50,000 won.
But you know.
[Insert image link here]
Boss, it’s not when your pupils are shaking.
It’s when they should be wide open.
Whooosh!
Thud!!
“Ah!!”
Huh?
Does throwing a bundle of bills make this sound?
Whooosh, you say.
Is it because they’re bundled in 100s? Or is it because they’re new bills?
Anyway, the sound of them flying is refreshing.
The boss’s scream is refreshing too.
“Ugh. Wha, wha, what the hell is this guy doing! What’s the meaning of this!!”
“The meaning? It’s the act of counting.”
“…What?”
“You didn’t pick up the money? Didn’t hear the sound of scanning the barcode? I’ll buy everything here, so it’s your job as the boss to tally up.”
“W-what… No matter what, you don’t throw money at people’s faces?!”
The boss clenched his nose and shouted frantically like a lunatic.
In that case, I should rebut immediately.
“Don’t disrupt the business. I’m saving the business right now. With half a million in one bundle, it should make quite a profit, right? Use the change for mental distress compensation.”
After saying that, I grabbed the products near the cash register and placed them on the counter.
“Take another one.”
“…Yes?”
“When I was young, my dream was to be a baseball player. Today, I want to fulfill that dream here.”
As I spoke with a casual smile, the part-time worker laughed along, seemingly genuinely delighted.
And, as a matter of course, her eyes were fixed on the barcode.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
It’s loaded. Excellent.
Well then,
Swish! Swish! Swish!!
Thud! Thud!! Thud!!
“Ah! Ah!!”
“Boss, what are you doing? You can avoid it or catch it, but you keep getting hit. Oh, looking at that belly, it seems you don’t exercise and just eat greasy stuff, huh?”
“You! Profit! You son of a b*tch!! You—.”
I pulled out a bundle of bills again.
Before the convenience store owner could say more, I threw the bills at his face as if pitching a fastball.
Whoosh!
Thud!!
“Ah!!”
Good reaction.
Could he really have talent in baseball?
The convenience store owner flailed his hands in front of his face as if to shield himself and shouted, “Why on earth are you doing this?”
“Why, you ask?” I retorted with a look of injustice, glaring at the owner as if I could devour him.
“Why are you treating that part-timer like that?”
“T-That’s because I’m the owner—”
Ha. Look at this guy talking.
Just because he’s the owner, does that mean he can do whatever the hell he wants?
With such thoughts in his head, he treats the part-timer like that.
I widened my eyes and shouted, “You talk like an owner. You son of a b****. Why am I doing this? It’s because I’m pissed off seeing you torment the part-timer with your pathetic power. Why? Oh. Don’t worry. I’ve never heard of anyone dying from being paid. So, welcome the bundles of bills with joy, you son of a b****.”
I clenched the bills in my hand.
In reality.
Would I have acted this way?
Because of a woman I just met.
Would I be able to use a bundle of bills as a weapon?
I don’t know.
What’s important is the current emotion.
Not the emotion of conglomerate Seo Woojin, but the ‘me’ who became a conglomerate wanted to act like this.
Swish!!
Oops!
“Oh no! This, this jerk!!”
As I clenched the bills once again, the infuriated boss sprinted towards me at full speed.
“Screaaam!”
The part-timer, who had always seemed cool-headed, screamed.
I guess she yelled because she was worried about me?
Somehow, I’m grateful.
From Noble mtl dot com
But I’m not the type to be taken down by an unprofessional tackle like this.
Growl!
I exerted all my strength into my lower body and waist, withstood the boss’s tackle.
With my plump figure, I definitely had some weight to throw around.
If I were to make a wrong move here and stumble, I could end up with a smashed face, couldn’t I?
Just as I twisted my waist to evade the boss’s force,
Clang.
The sound of the convenience store door hurriedly opening, and someone entered.
“What are you doing?”
Two men in tracksuits appeared in my field of vision.
Wow?
Not only were they tall, but their shoulders were also quite broad.
Are they athletes?
“Do not fight, talk it out!”
Two men stepped forward, separating the boss.
But, is this separation the right move?
It seemed like they were unilaterally pulling the boss away.
“Hey, let go of this! I’m the victim here!”
That’s what someone who just witnessed me throwing money would think.
Right now, with you tackling my torso, anyone watching would see me as the victim. Idiot.
“Why are you doing this? You’re not that young.”
“Hey!! Let go of this!! I’m the boss here. Huh? Huh?”
No matter how much the boss protested, he couldn’t move. The men, but wait, it seems only one is pressing the boss?
Incredibly strong.
Are they really people who work out?
“It’s noisy. Just stay still for now. Oh. And you, sir. If you stay here, more fights will break out. Would you mind leaving? We’ll handle this person and calm things down.”
Oh, sweet.
I didn’t really want to fight and create a mess, so this works out well.
“Thank you. But be careful, he’s quite the troublemaker. Well then, I’ll take my leave.”
…I said that, but it’s not right to leave like this, is it?
Leaving alone isn’t the right way, is it?
I extended my hand to the part-timer.
“Let’s go together?”
“Excuse me?”
“Are you planning to stay here? It’s not like this is the only place to work part-time.”
The part-timer glanced at my hand for a moment.
Ah. Well.
I didn’t exactly extend my hand for her to hold it.
It’s a bit chaotic, isn’t it?
The boss is being subdued on the floor,
snack bags are rolling around,
so I extended my hand as a gesture to leave quickly.
Hmm.
Is it a bit much?
But it’s not like I suddenly withdrew my hand either.
“Okay.”
The part-timer smiled widely.
She happily took off her uniform vest and grabbed my hand.
Oh.
That laughter.
The most cheerful among all the laughter until now.
A radiant smile on fair skin.
I really like that.
“Hey. Where the hell are these guys going— huh? Up? Woop? Wooeupwoeup!!”
The ‘woeupwoeup’ that followed must be the disciples of justice shutting the boss up, right?
Is the world still worth living in?
I hurriedly moved away, taking quick steps to a place where I couldn’t see the part-timer and the convenience store.
But why isn’t she letting go of my hand?
It felt a bit… strange. Hmm.
I tried to release my hand first, but instead, the part-timer was giving more strength to her grip.
The sensation was a bit… peculiar. Hmm.
I glanced sideways.
I felt it from the first time, but her skin was too good.
Not just fair, almost transparent.
Moreover.
Earlier, because of the convenience store vest, I couldn’t see it properly, but even with a slim figure, her body curves were definitely not ordinary.
…Hmm.
What should I call this without much thought?
I picked up a shell absentmindedly, and it feels like a pearl popped out.
But is it too close?
She stopped walking for a moment.
My body automatically jolted.
I turned my head to look at her.
She was staring at me with eyes even more transparent than her skin.
Ugh.
My saliva is strangely thick.
Could this be… a green light??
And in that moment, something twinkled above my left eye.