New Daily Life (3)
Yoon Seohee's gaze lingered on me for a moment.
"I came to cover for you today."
"Cover?"
"Yeah. They needed someone urgently."
Seohee blinked, looking a bit surprised.
"You're working here?"
"Yeah."
At that moment, the manager who had been watching us from the side spoke up.
"Are you two acquainted?"
"Ah, um... just school friends."
Seohee answered first.
"Ah, so you went to the same school."
The manager nodded.
"Then that's good. Let's go inside."
"Okay."
I followed the manager into the staff corridor.
Unlike the crowded area from just before, the inside was quite quiet.
A long corridor with a small break room and changing room on one side, and further in, a warehouse with stacked items.
The manager opened an empty locker.
"Put your bag here."
"Okay."
"We've prepared the uniform, so change and come out."
"Understood."
I picked up the clothes and entered the changing room.
* * *
I stared at my reflection in the mirror for a moment.
Black pants and a white shirt.
With the movie theater logo vest over it, the atmosphere felt quite different from usual.
A temporary name tag was pinned to my chest.
[Lee Jun]
Although it was the first time wearing the clothes, I worried it might look awkward...
'Well, it's not bad.'
After adjusting the shirt sleeves, I came out.
"All set?"
"Yeah."
The manager checked my appearance once and turned around.
"Since it's just for today as a substitute, you don't have to worry about difficult tasks."
I followed the manager down the corridor.
"This is the break room, and the warehouse is further in."
"Okay."
"The cleaning tools are here."
He pointed to the broom and trash bags on the wall.
"After the screening ends, just help the other staff clean up the trash."
"Understood."
I was also briefly explained the staff corridor and entrance locations.
'...It's not as complicated as I thought.'
The manager took me straight to the snack bar area.
"Here, you'll mainly help prepare popcorn and hand out cups."
I noticed the cups stacked by size.
"Since we do self-serve drinks, just give the matching size cups."
The manager pointed to the drink machines outside the snack bar.
"Ah."
"When an order comes in, a order slip will print here."
─Giiik.
A sheet of paper suddenly came out from a small machine.
The manager showed me the order slip he tore off.
"See, it has the popcorn type, size, and drink cup size."
"Okay."
"Popcorn is this way."
Original and caramel popcorn in separate bins.
"Since there are half-and-half orders, just check that."
"Understood."
"The cups are stacked from small to large, so you won't have much trouble."
While listening to the explanation, I memorized the positions.
As a one-day substitute, the tasks weren't overly complex.
"And."
The manager looked around and called to one side.
"Seohee?"
Seohee, who was organizing items, looked up.
"Yeah."
"I'll have you help my friend today."
"Okay."
"Since I explained the basics, just watch the orders from the side."
"Okay."
The manager looked at me this time.
"If you don't know anything, ask Seohee."
"Ah, yes."
The manager headed to the side where other staff were.
I moved to Seohee's position.
"Is this seat okay?"
"Yeah."
Seohee pointed to the order slip machine.
"For the first few times, I'll do it, so watch me."
"Got it."
A order slip printed.
Seohee tore the paper and checked the content.
"Original large one, two colas large."
She took out the popcorn bins and skillfully filled them, then got two cups.
"Popcorn this much."
Seohee showed the completed bin to me briefly.
"Don't pack too tightly."
"Yeah."
"Just match the cup size."
The prepared items went to the counter.
Soon another order slip came out.
Seohee processed it first again.
After watching a few, I figured out how it worked roughly.
When Seohee finished the third order, she handed me the new slip.
"Now it's your turn."
"Yeah."
[Caramel popcorn M / Cider L]
I checked the order and picked up the medium bin.
Filled the caramel popcorn appropriately and showed it to Seohee.
"This much?"
Seohee looked inside.
"A bit more."
I added more popcorn.
"Done."
This time, I took out a large cup and placed it together.
Seohee checked the order slip and the prepared item alternately.
"Correct."
"Surprisingly simple."
"Since there aren't many customers now."
"I see."
After processing a few more orders, I quickly got the hang of it.
'It's easy.'
Just popcorn type.
Size.
Cup size.
Just those three things.
"Half-and-half medium one."
Seohee handed over the slip.
"Drinks?"
"None."
"Yeah."
I divided original and caramel equally and handed it over.
Seohee checked the slip without a word.
"Well done."
"Huh?"
I picked up the next order slip.
While helping at the snack bar for a while, another staff member approached.
"Seohee. 3rd theater is over."
"Yeah."
Seohee finished what she was doing.
"Jun."
"Come with me."
"Okay."
I grabbed the cleaning tools I saw earlier from the staff corridor and followed Seohee.
In the screening room, people were leaving one by one as the movie had just ended.
After waiting for the last audience to leave, I entered.
On the floor of the lit screening room, popcorn was scattered everywhere.
Empty drink cups remained in the seat cup holders.
"Is this something we have to clean up too?"
"Yeah."
Seohee handed me a trash bag.
"I'll go from the top down, so you start from the bottom."
"Got it."
I checked from the lowest seat and went up.
'More people throw stuff than I thought.'
I bent down and picked up a crumpled napkin.
"...I have to check even here."
At first, I thought just picking up visible trash, but when I tried, it was different.
Cup holders.
Under the seats.
Between the backrests.
And even the ones who stuff it under the seats.
"..."
I stretched my arm to pull out one empty popcorn bin.
'I'll definitely remember this one.'
While looking between seats.
"Down there."
Seohee's voice came from above.
"Where?"
"My right. Under the chair."
I bent down to look inside.
"..."
A crumpled napkin was perfectly wedged between the seat legs.
'How did this get here.'
I reached out and took the napkin into the bag.
After checking a few more lines, I met Seohee in the middle.
"Done?"
"Yeah. You?"
"Me too."
Seohee quickly scanned the surroundings.
"Then let's go out."
"Alright."
I lightly tapped my waist and followed Seohee outside.
'My waist hurts more than I thought.'
* * *
After that, time passed in a complete blur.
After cleaning the screening rooms, customers flooded the snack bar.
When the snack bar got a bit quiet, another task came up.
"Jun, half-and-half large one."
"Yeah."
"Two medium cups too."
"Here."
At first, I checked the order slip multiple times for each order.
After repeating for several hours, now I could see at a glance what to grab.
'Indeed, it gets familiar when you do it.'
The problem was that as I got used to it, more customers came.
One finishes, immediately next order.
When hands free for a moment, restock items.
'Still, time flies really well.'
If I was at home, I'd have fiddled with my phone and thought about various things.
Now, I didn't have time for such thoughts.
After moving for a while, the line in front of the snack bar started to shorten a bit.
"Hah..."
Only then did my body relax a little.
Until now, I hadn't noticed because I was busy, but after stopping, my shoulders were stiff and my legs felt heavy.
'Still, it was doable compared to what I thought.'
I picked up one empty box stacked around.
"Is this the last?"
Seohee, who was organizing items, looked up.
"Yeah."
Then she also picked up a few items from her side.
"I'll go with you. I have something to take too."
"Yeah."
The two of us entered the corridor behind the snack bar.
The voices of customers and the sound of popcorn machines faded a bit.
'After putting this down, maybe it's time to go home.'
While heading to the staff warehouse.
"...Wait a second."
Seohee suddenly stopped.
"Why?"
Instead of answering, Seohee looked at the 7th theater entrance next to her.
"..."
Seohee stood still for a moment, then slowly opened the door.
─Clang.
"..."
The moment I saw inside, I closed my mouth too.
Popcorn from previous audiences remained on the floor.
An empty popcorn bin rolled between seats.
Empty cups were stuck in cup holders everywhere.
'What's this.'
Clearly, cleaning hadn't started yet.
I put down the box I was holding and asked.
"Hasn't this been cleaned yet?"
"..."
Seohee didn't answer.
She immediately turned and checked the screening schedule next to the entrance.
I followed her gaze.
[7th Theater Entrance Start 21:20]
I took out my phone from my pocket and checked the time...
[21:05]
"...15 minutes?"
Only 15 minutes left until entrance.
"Seohee?"
When I called again, Seohee finally spoke softly.
"Uh... what do we do...?"
"What's going on?"
"Minji unni asked me to clean the 7th theater earlier."
"So you agreed?"
"Yeah."
Seohee pressed her lips together.
"Since I had to go somewhere else, I was going to take care of the customers and go in..."
The end of the sentence trailed off.
"With customers piling up at the snack bar and getting busy."
"..."
"I completely forgot."
I looked back into the screening room.
Scattered popcorn on the floor.
Empty cups left in cup holders.
Trash under the seats.
It didn't look like it would end quickly even if I glanced.
"How long do you think it will take?"
"Even if three people, it should be at most 30 minutes."
"..."
"Usually 30 to 40 minutes."
I checked the phone screen again.
Remaining time: 15 minutes.
'Less than half.'
"Everyone else?"
"They're in other theaters or at the snack bar."
"Really big trouble..."
Seohee's expression became noticeably harder after confirming the fact with words once more.
"..."
The skilled way she had been working until just before was gone, and only panic remained on her face.
Seohee put her hand on her forehead and said.
"Why did I forget..."
"This can't be finished in time."