Namgung Jinwi, That's My Name (2)
A week after the condom incident.
I'd sold a ton of condoms in that week alone. It was pure hell, with no breaks as customers poured in nonstop. Just from condoms, I'd already raked in more than five silver ingots. The gold bar I'd gotten from Baek Jin-yong before had all gone toward expanding the convenience store, buying shelves, and placing orders. After that, it was pure sales from the store. And now, condoms had boosted those sales even further.
It was the best feeling in the world.
Today, I placed an order for another 100 boxes at the POS machine. Considering the stamina of Murim folks, 100 boxes was laughably short, but that was on purpose. A scarcity strategy. Something you can buy anytime has a different value from something rare and hard to get.
I was waiting for the ordered condoms to stack up on the shelves when—ding-a-ling—the convenience store door swung open.
"Welcome!"
The customer who walked in was a tall, striking man. His hair was tied up in a topknot, and the long hem of his robe fluttered in the breeze. The hilt of the sword at his waist was wrapped in blue cloth, with an intricate design engraved at the end. And his face? Drop-dead handsome. Big eyes with a fierce, determined gaze. A straight, high nose, red lips, and skin so clear and pale it glowed. Sharp features, shoulders broad as the Great Wall—a total ladies' man. He'd probably broken plenty of hearts.
He glanced at me, then scanned the store interior.
"Just as the rumors said—a truly bizarre inn."
His voice carried no youthful immaturity, laced with innate politeness. The kind of refinement drilled in from birth. Some noble house young master? Or a first-generation disciple from a major sect? Nah, probably not. Compare him to Baek Jin-yong—no contest.
"To think it's shining so brightly without being night-luminescent pearl."
He was staring at the fluorescent lights. Knowing it wasn't real night-luminescent pearl meant he'd seen the genuine article. High-born or filthy rich. Merchant guild heir? Nah, didn't smell like money.
"Ah, forgive my rudeness. I forgot to introduce myself. I am Namgung Jinwi."
Namgung family! Any wuxia reader would know them on sight. No wonder he oozed class. One of the Five Great Families—makes sense. I'd figured no ties to the Murim Alliance, but running into him like this? Kinda nice.
Namgung family. Treat him well, and word might spread to the other houses. I asked in my friendliest tone,
"Looking for anything in particular?"
"Hm. Quite lively. Could you prepare a dish?"
"Of course!"
I'd sent Yoo Hwa-yeon on a break, so I headed to the ramen station myself.
"Do you like spicy food by any chance?"
"Not particularly."
"Got it!"
For not-too-spicy, hanwoo beef bone broth ramen it was. I peeled off the packaging, dumped in the powder, and poured the water. Even as I did, my mind raced. Whoa, Namgung family. Only read about them in novels—first time seeing one up close. Not that anyone else has. And damn, he really did exude that noble aura just like the descriptions. Bet his martial arts were top-tier too. First-rate? Nah, peak? Or maybe entry-level super peak? Whatever it was, I'd love to see him fight.
I glanced at the corner mirror while pouring, and caught Namgung Jinwi glancing around. Like he was searching for something. Could be just curiosity, but no—his eyes kept drifting to one spot. The daily necessities shelf.
I finished pouring and brought it over. He'd snapped back to his dignified, hands-behind-back pose like nothing happened.
"Hm. So this is the famed dish everyone's raving about?"
"Well, we don't sell it anywhere else."
He leaned in, sniffing the steam.
"The aroma is exquisite. Like beef bones simmered to perfection."
"You've got a good nose. Spot on."
"I'll dig in. How much?"
"Two coins."
"Incredibly cheap!"
He handed over the coins and sat at the plastic table. But then,
"Hm. Delicious. This is really good."
Hold up. You haven't even taken a bite?
He picked up some noodles with chopsticks, brushed them against his lips, set them down, and kept repeating how good it was. What the hell? Pretending to eat something his body can't handle? Just skip it then—why bother?
Following his gaze, it led straight to the daily necessities shelf. What was he after? Curiosity piqued, I approached.
"Sir?"
"Hm! Delicious!"
"Looking for something specific?"
His chopsticks froze mid-air. He flashed an awkward smile.
"M-me? Looking for something? I came for ramen. Ramen."
"Doesn't look like it—you haven't even had a proper bite."
"I-I'll eat! I will!"
He grumbled, shoved a single strand in, and chewed slowly. At this rate, he'd never finish before closing time. What was he hunting for?
Staring at the shelf, it hit me. Condoms had been flying off the shelves lately. Sure, some came for ramen, but after the rumors spread, it was mostly guys buying condoms. No wonder the bandits griped about women vanishing from the store.
Meaning—this guy was probably after condoms too. Too embarrassed to say "gimme a condom!" outright. Even in modern times, running a convenience store, I'd see customers blush harder than necessary over condoms. Despite it being natural and beautiful, the shame vibe made them squirm. I'd avert my eyes, pretend to busy myself elsewhere, ring them up blind—and their faces would relax.
Slurp—
"Ugh, um. Good stuff."
Barely two strands down. His eyes darted wildly, hunting. No way he'd clock out today at this pace. Fine. To speed things up:
I went to the daily necessities shelf, grabbed a fresh box of condoms from the recent order, pretended to tidy up, and—whoops—dropped it. The box slid smoothly across the floor, stopping right in front of Namgung Jinwi's table.
I picked it up like I'd just noticed, making sure he saw.
"Aigoo, there it is. A condom."
The word "condom" left my mouth, and his chopsticks halted dead.
"What is that, shopkeep?"
"This? Yeah?"
"Fascinating how it shimmers in all colors."
"It's called a condom."
"Hm, I see. So that's a condom."
He wasn't asking what it was. Meaning he already knew. But why would a young master like him need condoms? He didn't look past thirty—kids already? Stamina king or what? This felt kinda fun.
"Looks intriguing. I have a hobby of collecting curios."
His tongue was loosening.
"Recently bought a round jade-like stone from the riverbank. Neat, right? My place is full of oddities."
"Ah, yeah."
"But I don't buy just anything. Passed on some creepy bones buried for centuries last time. Gave me the chills."
"Uh-huh."
"Anyway, that seems worth adding to my collection. No misunderstanding—purely for collecting."
Yeah, sure. No skin off my nose.
"Ahem, so hand one over. Perfect for displaying on a nightstand or dresser."
"Fifty coins."
Spreading this much groundwork for one condom? Young master vibes—probably hates talking sex outright. Gotcha.
"Fifty's plenty for a collector's item. Here."
He handed over the coins, and the corner of his mouth twitched up. That excited? Just imagining it? I couldn't hold back a chuckle, dipping my head.
Namgung Jinwi shot up like it was urgent, bowed.
"Ramen was great. I'll come back for more. Farewell."
He bolted out at footwork speed.
"Great my ass..."
The ramen bowl? Pristine, minus two strands. No doubt. He must've been desperate—didn't care if ramen went in his nose or eyes. Tonight, history would be made.
I cleared the table with that thought.
And then night fell.
Closing up, about to lock the door—familiar face.
"Huh?"
Daytime: confident, dignified, noble. Now: anxious, jittery, shrunken. Namgung Jinwi. How does a guy change this much in half a day? Tear streaks on his face, clothes disheveled.
"You're the customer from earlier, right?"
He just nodded, no words.
"What happened? Cond—er, ramen?"
"Th-that..."
Couldn't spit it out. Faulty condom? As I wondered,
"...failed."
"Pardon?"
"It failed..."
"What failed?"
He yanked the condom box from his bosom and slammed it to the floor.
"Everything failed! Because of this!"
The remaining two condoms spilled out pathetically.