Sleight of Hand
The Large Grocery Store. A bustling crowd packed the aisles, everyone busy hunting for what they needed.
Dressed in my school uniform, I lingered in front of the meat counter for what felt like an eternity. A sharp, suspicious gaze pricked the back of my neck. I knew exactly what he was thinking. He wanted to catch me red-handed.
But the hand is quicker than the eye. One card from the bottom for Agwi, one for Madam Jeong, and one for me... Ah, wait, wrong movie.Swish. Swish. In the blink of an eye, two packs of premium ribeye steak vanished.
It happened in a flash. It was so swift and precise that even the man watching me didn't notice a thing. He was probably wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him. Having achieved my goal, I casually sauntered away from the meat counter, acting as if nothing had happened. But just as I turned to leave—
“Hey, kid. Can I have a word with you for a second?”
The middle-aged, pot-bellied man who had been keeping tabs on me called out.
“What for?” I asked.
“I think you know the answer to that better than I do, don't you?”
“I haven't the slightest clue.”
“Tsk... Do I really have to spell it out?”
“Go ahead. I'm curious myself.”
“Let's not make a scene here. Why don't we take this somewhere quiet?”
“No, thank you. Besides, I have nothing to say to you.”
“I'd like you to open that backpack of yours.”
“Why my backpack?”
“Because I have a strong feeling there's store merchandise inside it.”
“There isn't.”
“Whether there is or isn't is for us to decide after we check. We can't just take your word for it.”
“I said there's nothing in here!” I yelled.
“And that's why I'm saying I need to check!”
The man lunged forward, trying to pry my backpack open by force. I blocked him with my entire body.
“Why are you resisting? If you didn't steal anything, you should have no problem showing me. Why are you hiding it like this?”
“This is my bag! Who do you think you are, demanding to search it? This is an invasion of privacy! You've ruined my mood, and I'm not buying anything here anymore. I'm leaving.”
As I tried to push past the middle-aged man, he blocked my path and forcefully grabbed my arm. I looked down at his grip, then up at his pot-bellied frame, and spoke coldly.
“Let go of me. If you don't let go right now, I'm calling the police.”
“Oh, please do! Hey, Manager Kim! Call the police. Tell them we've caught a shoplifter.”
The employee, Manager Kim, immediately dialed emergency services. Meanwhile, the pot-bellied man dragged me toward a corner. Though I was a high school student, my frame was small and frail back then, leaving me powerless against his brute strength.
“I have to do this in case you try to run. Manager Kim, stand behind me and make sure this little bastard doesn't slip away! Just so you know, kid, I don't do settlements. Punks like you need to rot in prison. Rotten to the core. If you don't have money, you should get a job, not learn how to steal first, you little piece of shit. I've had my eye on you for a while now. Every time you show up, things go missing. Once I prove you did it today, I'm pinning every single past theft on you and throwing your ass in jail. Dirty little thief.”
The pot-bellied man spewed a torrent of abuse at me. Nearby shoppers began to linger, whispering and staring to see what the commotion was about. As the crowd grew, a flicker of unease crossed the man's face, but he didn't loosen his grip on my arm. His expression was a complicated mix of emotions.
He clearly wanted to catch me, but he hadn't intended to make such a public scene. His plan had likely been to quietly escort me to his office, search my bag, find the stolen goods, and hold me accountable there. Accusing and badgering a suspected thief right in the middle of the store, in front of paying customers, was terrible for business—even if I actually was a thief. He had tried to avoid this by suggesting a quiet chat, but the damage was already done. He was probably justifying his actions to himself, thinking he had no choice because I tried to run.
Soon, the police arrived. Two officers—one male, one female—entered the store.
“We received a report of a disturbance,” the male officer said.
“O-Over here, officers!” the pot-bellied owner called out, waving them over.
“This little bastard stole from my store!”
“What exactly did he steal?” the officer asked.
The pot-bellied owner blinked, momentarily caught off guard. “Huh?”
“Well... I mean, if you just open his bag, you'll see, won't you?”
“So you're accusing him of theft without even knowing what he took?”
The officer's sharp question flustered the pot-bellied man. However, he quickly recovered and blurted out an answer.
“Meat! He must have stolen beef. He was lingering in front of the beef counter for ages.”
At the owner's words, the officer turned to me. “I need to inspect your bag.”
“Show me a warrant first.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said, if you want to search my bag, bring a warrant. And is it standard procedure to demand a search without even identifying yourself first?”
The officer looked taken aback.
“Ah. My apologies. I am Corporal Kim Cheol-min from the Songsan Police Station. May I inspect your bag?”
“No, you may not. Let me make this absolutely clear: I refuse to consent to a search.”
“If you didn't steal anything, simply opening the bag would resolve this instantly. Is there a need to make things so complicated?”
“I am feeling incredibly humiliated and insulted right now. This man publicly branded me, a minor, as a thief in front of all these people. He swore at me, shoved me, and used physical violence. I told him repeatedly that I didn't steal anything, but he refused to listen. Instead, he treated me like a criminal and degraded me before a crowd. I'm not interested in merely proving my innocence anymore; I want to press charges. I intend to sue him for defamation, insult, assault, and child abuse.”
At my words, the pot-bellied owner bellowed even louder. “Listen to this little thief talk! What? Defamation? What honor do you even have to defame? Officer, just rip his bag open and arrest him already!”
The owner barked orders at the police, but Corporal Kim Cheol-min shot him a sharp, warning glare. Only then did the pot-bellied man shut his mouth. I swung my backpack off my shoulders and held it in front of my chest.
“Since you're all so dying to know, I'll open it.”
I unzipped the bag, turned it upside down, and gave it a vigorous shake.
Thud. Thud-thud. Clatter, clatter.
Textbooks and study guides tumbled out onto the floor, followed by pens, mechanical pencils, and highlighters rolling in every direction. Amidst the school supplies, a single plastic sanitary bag fell to the ground. The officer picked it up and inspected it. Inside was leftover food.
“I'm a Basic Livelihood Security Recipient,” I sobbed, fat tears beginning to stream down my face. “So sometimes, the school nutritionist secretly packs leftovers for me to take home and eat. I was just... I was too embarrassed to show everyone... hic... but now everyone thinks I'm a thief... sniff...”
“What on earth did I steal? Huh?! Is it really such a crime to linger near the meat counter just because I wanted some beef and hoped there might be free samples?”
Corporal Kim thoroughly searched my backpack and patted me down to ensure nothing was hidden on my person, while the female officer, Officer Lee, helped gather my scattered belongings. Despite their meticulous search, they found absolutely nothing.
“No, this is impossible!”
The pot-bellied owner lunged forward, trying to snatch the bag to search it himself, but Corporal Kim shook his head and firmly blocked him. The onlookers in the store began to glare at the owner as if he were absolute scum.
“So he cornered and harassed a kid over a baseless suspicion?”
“What an absolute piece of trash.”
“I'm never shopping here again.”
“Seriously. Shop here, and you might get branded a thief out of nowhere.”
“Damn, am I a potential suspect too now?”
“Yeah, I'm boycotting this place.”
“Poor kid, look at him. He's still crying. My heart breaks for him.”
“I honestly want to buy him some beef myself. Ah, but definitely not from this store.”
“He just wanted to eat some meat, and they called him a thief? I guess looking at things makes you a criminal here.”
“Better keep your eyes closed while shopping in this joint.”
The whispers of the crowd echoed clearly through the aisle. Panicking, the pot-bellied owner shouted defensively.
“No! I'm telling you, the brat stole it! I saw him do it!”
“Excuse me? You saw me steal? Then where is the stolen merchandise? What did I take? I'd love to know what exactly I supposedly stole.”
“This isn't fair! I'm the one who's being wronged here!”
“The only one wronged here is me,” I retorted. “I am absolutely not letting this slide. I am going to sue this man. Officer, I formally request the CCTV footage as official evidence.” I pointed directly at the security camera mounted on the ceiling.
Corporal Kim Cheol-min glanced up at the camera. “Officer Lee, secure that CCTV footage. Whether we're dealing with theft or assault, we'll need that footage. Get their cooperation and bring it.”
“Understood, sir.” Officer Lee headed off to secure the footage, but the massive crowd of onlookers remained, their eyes glued to us.
“And let's not continue this discussion out in the open,” Corporal Kim suggested, looking around. “With all these people watching... Is there a quiet place we can go?”
“Ahem... Follow me this way.”
The pot-bellied owner led us into the back office. A small meeting table sat in the center, while cabinets, files, and various office supplies were cluttered haphazardly against the walls. It looked like a breakroom where employees worked and occasionally had coffee.
“Please, take a seat,” the owner said, pulling out a chair for Corporal Kim before sitting down next to him. He completely ignored me, so I remained standing.
“You should sit too, kid,” Corporal Kim said gently.
“Thank you.”
Since it was the police officer, not the store owner, inviting me, I took a seat in an empty chair. Once everyone was seated, Corporal Kim opened the discussion.
“To summarize the situation, you called the police because you suspected this student of shoplifting, correct?”
“That's correct.”
“And in the process, you used physical force against him.”
“Force? No, it wasn't like that. I just suspected he had stolen goods in his bag, so I asked to check it.”
“You do realize that's illegal, right?”
“I absolutely didn't force him! I just asked. But then he tried to run, so I held him back so he couldn't escape. That's all. I swear, it's the truth.”
“Is that true?” Corporal Kim asked, turning to me.
“No, it's a complete lie. He tried to rip my bag open, dragged me against my will, and used violence. Look at this. My wrist is still red.”
The pot-bellied man had gripped me so tightly that clear, red finger marks were still visible on my skin.
“Ahem. That was just an accident. You suddenly tried to flee, so I had to grab you... it was unavoidable.”
“Save it. I don't want to talk to you anymore,” I said, cutting him off. I turned to the officer. “Corporal Kim Cheol-min from the Songsan Police Station, right? I want to file a formal complaint. What do I need to do?” I looked straight at him, demanding to know the legal procedure to press charges.
“Corporal, I have the CCTV footage,” Officer Lee said, stepping back into the office.
“Can we view it here?”
“Yes, I transferred it to my phone. Take a look.”
The video Officer Lee played showed me in crystal-clear quality. While I had lingered near the meat counter and picked up and put down packs of beef a few times, there was absolutely no footage of me putting them in my bag or hiding them. The camera captured everything perfectly. A moment later, the pot-bellied owner approached me, tried to snatch my backpack, and when that failed, forcefully dragged me away.
Corporal Kim reviewed the footage. There was nothing left to debate. The owner claimed the student had stolen, but that was purely a baseless suspicion. No stolen goods were found, and no suspicious act was recorded. Even if the kid had stolen something, the owner had no right to act like a vigilante. On the other hand, the owner's actions—forcefully dragging a minor and publicly branding him a thief in front of a crowd—were indisputable. It was no wonder the student wanted to press charges.
Corporal Kim stood up, pulled out his handcuffs, and snapped them onto the wrists of the pot-bellied store owner sitting next to him.
“You are under arrest for assault, insult, and defamation. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney...”
The pot-bellied owner gasped in shock as the cold steel locked around his wrists, desperately trying to defend himself. “Wait, no! Why are you handcuffing me?! That little bastard is the thief! Every time he slinks around the meat counter, several packs of beef go missing!”
“Then where is the beef he supposedly stole today?”
“What? Well... he might have an accomplice who already took off with it!”
“Sigh. If you ever find evidence of that, you can file a report then. For now, you're coming with us to the station for assault.”
“Officer, you forgot to mention child abuse,” I chimed in.
“What?! You little piece of shit!” the pot-bellied man roared as I piled on another charge.
“Keep shouting, and we'll add obstruction of justice to the list,” Corporal Kim warned. “Let's go. You too, kid. We need to take your statement at the station.”
“Yes, sir.”
After being released from questioning, Min Baeho, the pot-bellied owner of the Large Grocery Store, felt utterly consumed by a burning sense of injustice. He knew it was that kid. He was absolutely certain. Every single time that brat loitered around the store, merchandise vanished. Thinking it might have been an inventory error, he had double-checked the stock count multiple times, but the numbers didn't lie—someone was stealing. That was why he had kept such a close eye on the kid. He had even abandoned his duties just to shadow him. Yet, he had never once caught him in the act. He couldn't see it with his own eyes, and even when he reviewed the CCTV footage over and over, hoping to catch a slip-up, there was never a trace of theft.
Could the thief be someone else? No, all circumstantial evidence pointed directly at that brat. It had to be him. Min Baeho had considered just turning a blind eye. A few bags of chips or packs of instant ramen were negligible losses he could easily write off. But premium beef, costing tens of thousands of won per pack? That was a different story. Several packs of that expensive meat were vanishing daily. And it had all started right when that kid began hovering around the meat counter. He was one hundred percent the culprit. Yet, there was no proof. No matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn't figure out how the kid was pulling it off. He must have some kind of hidden device. That was why Min Baeho had decided he needed to search that backpack. He had asked so politely today, merely requesting to check the bag. But the kid tried to run, so he grabbed him—and now, Min Baeho was the one facing charges of assault, defamation, and child abuse.
“If you don't reach a settlement, you could face actual prison time. At the very least, you'll get a hefty fine. The victim claims he felt extreme fear and humiliation, and since you called him a thief in a crowded public space, insult charges will likely be added. The CCTV footage makes the evidence indisputable. Most importantly, the victim is a minor. Assaulting a minor is a serious offense. Right now, that student is threatening to hire a lawyer and throw the book at you. You need to settle with him somehow if you want to avoid prison.”
The warning from the officer who took his statement echoed in Min Baeho's mind.
“Sigh...”
Letting out a deep, heavy sigh, Min Baeho dialed the student's number.
The student hung up without hesitation. Then, he placed a thick slab of beef onto a beautifully preheated pan, listening to the sizzle.