The Clerk's Jealousy
Ding-a-ling—
"Welcome."
At the sound of the bell, Choi Ihan, a part-time worker at a convenience store in downtown Cheongun City, gave a half-hearted nod without looking up. Once the customers disappeared around the corner to browse, he quietly sat down and opened his textbook. At twenty-one, he was a third-year at Cheongun Academy, nearing graduation. It was the point where he had no choice but to become more desperate about managing his grades compared to the underclassmen. Though the actual exam period was still a ways off, Choi Ihan was using the gaps between customers to start with the written theory subjects first. His practical skills were decent, but written exams were relatively weak for him.
He kept glancing toward the front while studying, worried a customer might come to pay. 'Simplified elemental magic formulas for range and firepower adjustment…? How the hell am I supposed to know this.'
Of course, as a physical-type Awakened, Choi Ihan was even worse at magic theory. But what could he do? It was ultimately his own responsibility for messing up his course registration and ending up in a magic-type class. So he only grumbled inwardly and focused diligently on his studies—until a voice called out.
"Excuse me, I'd like to pay."
"Ah, yes."
Since his shift wasn't over yet, he couldn't devote his full attention to studying. He should be grateful just for the owner's consideration in letting him study in between customers. Choi Ihan quickly stood up at the sound of the customer approaching the counter and picked up the barcode scanner.
Beep, beep—
With practiced movements, he scanned the items while glancing sideways at what they were. 'Snacks, orange juice, tonic water, and Absolut vodka…? Ah, condoms.'
It wasn't out of particular curiosity, but the combination naturally caught his eye during the transaction. For Choi Ihan, who had spent most of his three years at the academy single, it was an unavoidable sight that made him frown.
This convenience store was located near the motel district, so it was inevitable. Setting aside the sad fact that it pissed him off every time he saw it, it was also a fairly common combination. These customers were probably heading to a motel with alcohol, snacks, and condoms, just like every other couple.
He almost let out a sigh, but Choi Ihan was already a two-year veteran at this part-time job. He managed his expression in time so the customers wouldn't feel uncomfortable, lowered his posture, and said, "That'll be 42,900 won total. Would you like a bag?"
Just as he was about to pull out a black plastic bag from under the counter, expecting the usual affirmative answer to his routine question—
"Yes, I'll pay by card."
"……?"
Only then did Choi Ihan finally look at the customers' faces. While bagging the items, their eyes naturally met. 'What the—'
He minimized any change in expression through sheer professionalism, but inwardly he was so shocked that a gasp almost escaped. It was late evening on a weekend. Given that Cheongun City essentially existed for academy students, their identities were obvious. Of course they were a student couple out to spend some quality time together on the weekend. That was exactly why Choi Ihan felt even more depressed. While he was busting his ass working part-time and studying, these two were leisurely going on a date and now heading off to fuck.
So the part that surprised Choi Ihan wasn't that they were students. It was who they were individually. 'B-Baek Seolah?'
The first thing that caught his eye was the male student in front—Han Taeyang, the famous third-year casanova whose name even a third-year like him had heard. But what truly astonished Choi Ihan was the female student standing beside Han Taeyang, fiddling with her phone. It was Baek Seolah, the top student of the entire second year and daughter of the S-class Awakened Baek Kangho.
Her exceptional talent as an Awakened aside, she was already notorious throughout the academy for her strikingly beautiful appearance. At the same time, she was dating Lee Hyeonseong, another top-ranked second-year student. '……Holy shit. So that rumor was true?'
Recently, rumors of discord with Lee Hyeonseong had been circulating on the academy community. Apparently, she'd been seen with Han Taeyang more often than with her boyfriend since last month. Choi Ihan remembered how the topic had become hot among the more opportunistic guys, wondering if that beautiful girl's seat beside her boyfriend would soon be empty. Whether it was true or not, it seemed the rumor wasn't entirely baseless. Not when she was appearing as Han Taeyang's partner in the shady motel district at this late hour.
Choi Ihan's pupils trembled involuntarily as his gaze locked onto Baek Seolah. "Manager?"
"……Ah."
Only after Han Taeyang called out to him in a puzzled tone did Choi Ihan realize he still hadn't handed over the bag even though the payment was complete. He hurriedly snapped out of it and offered the bag. "S-Sorry. I spaced out for a second."
"No, it's fine."
Han Taeyang gave a light chuckle and a slight nod, as if to say there was no need to apologize over something so minor. Choi Ihan stared blankly for a moment before the two of them casually prepared to leave the store. He couldn't take his eyes off them until the very end—more specifically, at the two boxes of condoms in the bag Han Taeyang was holding and Baek Seolah's exposed midriff beneath her crop top.
Gulp.
He knew he shouldn't, but instinctually, a certain fantasy filled his mind, forcing Choi Ihan to swallow dryly. 'Where…… are they going?'
He even asked himself a question whose answer he already knew. Ding-a-ling— The convenience store door opened and the two left. Choi Ihan's wide eyes remained fixed on Baek Seolah's retreating back. Just as alluring as her exposed stomach from the front, the seductive curve from her hips downward was visible. An incredibly beautiful, sensual, and captivating part of her body.
'……Eye candy……'
His male instincts completely ignored his conscience telling him not to ogle a junior he wasn't even close with, forcing his gaze to stay locked on her figure. Only after they finally disappeared from view could he let out the breath he'd been holding. "Phew."
By then, his rationality had returned as well, thanks to Baek Seolah's absence no longer clouding his mind. Choi Ihan pressed a hand to the back of his stiff neck with a complicated expression and thought quietly to himself. '……Han Taeyang. That fucking lucky bastard.'
Thus, he harbored both unjustified jealousy and legitimate envy toward a male junior a year below him. He remembered the occasional rumors he'd heard, and there was a discrepancy with the polite demeanor he'd just witnessed, but it didn't particularly bother him. In that moment, he realized the truth hidden within those rumors. ……After all, if a guy was snatching up that many attractive girls, it would be strange if people didn't talk behind his back. Naturally, even baseless rumors would spring up.
'You should pay double taxes.'
With that gloomy thought, Choi Ihan stared blankly down at the textbook spread open on the counter. He was done studying for today. All he wanted now was to switch shifts with the next worker as soon as possible and head back to the dorm. The two boxes of condoms they'd bought lingered in Choi Ihan's mind like an afterimage. It was a lonely and cruel thing.
*****
"……What are you glancing at like that? Baekselgi."
"No, um."
After leaving the convenience store and heading toward the motel we'd reserved in advance, I glanced at Baek Seolah walking beside me. She kept looking back at the convenience store with a subtle expression, as if something was bothering her. Soon, without any clear certainty but still with a distinctly displeased look, she answered.
"It's just… how do I put it. That part-timer from earlier."
"Yeah."
"He looked like someone I know."
"Yeah?"
I blinked at that, and Baek Seolah scratched her cheek before adding, "Not close or anything, but… he seems like a third-year senior I briefly met for a group project around last year."
"Ah."
Now that she mentioned it, I felt like I understood too. Sure enough, he'd been treating us completely professionally until he saw Baek Seolah and his eyes widened. It wasn't just because of her looks. I voiced the concern that occurred to me a beat later while carefully watching Baek Seolah's reaction. "……You okay? Being seen with me like this by someone from school."
"Huh?"
I'd said it out of concern for her reputation or the rumors that might spread later. Of course, it had already been over a month since we started getting close, but simply being seen together on campus and being spotted in the motel district at night were two different things. I was worried she might feel uncomfortable because of it.
"Well…… so what if some rumors spread."
"……?"
Contrary to my expectations, Baek Seolah's reaction was much more nonchalant—almost indifferent. She glanced at the black bag I was holding before continuing casually. "We only saw each other briefly, and he didn't seem like the type to spread unnecessary rumors anyway. More than that, honestly, hasn't the rumor already spread as much as it's going to?"
"……What has?"
"The rumor about you and me."
"……"
I fell into an awkward silence, unable to confirm or deny, and Baek Seolah let out a small laugh. "I found out recently that our school even has a community forum? Apparently there was an uproar ever since I sat next to you in the lecture hall last time."
"……Well, that……"
"You don't have to worry about pointless things. As you know, I'm not the type to care about what others say. Besides, Hyeonseong……"
When she mentioned Lee Hyeonseong, her eyes briefly clouded over before she twisted her lips sharply with a hint of irritation. "……Hyeonseong doesn't seem to care at all about me getting caught up in those kinds of 'rumors.'"
"What?"
"No. If anything, he might even like it?"
That damn perverted masochist bastard——.
The chilling follow-up remark was so unexpected that I wondered if I'd misheard. Even though it wasn't directed at me, I flinched at the cold smile Baek Seolah wore and the icy glint in her eyes. '……Did something happen between them again?'
That was the only reaction I could have from my position. Either something had happened, or they'd even fought. It seemed like I could vaguely picture how today's date had come about…… In any case, with her reacting like this, there was no benefit in me unnecessarily adding more words. I cleared my throat, looked away, and quickly walked toward the motel. Fortunately, Baek Seolah didn't direct that burning anger at me. It seemed to have a single target, and if that was the case, there was only one thing for me to do.
"Here."
"!"
Baek Seolah followed me obediently into the motel even though she looked ready to explode if touched. The moment I inserted the key card into the wall, I tore open the bag and ripped open a pack of the new snacks first. Then I picked up a piece and popped it into Baek Seolah's mouth. Her eyes widened before she accepted it like a baby bird.
The most effective way to calm a woman isn't a warm hug or a few kind words. What works best is sweetness, saltiness, greasiness, and umami…… and other similar flavors. Om nom nom—
Sure enough, Baek Seolah took off the lace cardigan she'd been wearing outdoors all day and hung it on the rack while eating the snacks I kept feeding her. Taking advantage of the moment, I placed the food items from the bag one by one on the table.
"……I've been curious since the convenience store earlier."
Baek Seolah chewed cutely with her cheeks puffed out, slightly covering her mouth as she pointed at the table with her index finger. "What's that? The thing in the white bottle."
"Ah…… Absolut?"
When I looked to see what she was pointing at, it turned out she was curious about one of the snacks I'd bought for tonight—specifically, the main one. I answered Baek Seolah, who had approached my side and was now staring at the bottle with curious eyes. "It's called Absolut Vodka. It's a decent entry-level one, really good for beginners. Mixing it with tonic water or orange juice makes it hard to mess up……"
While speaking, I took out the last item—the condoms—from the bag and set them aside. Then I headed toward the mini fridge in the room to find the bottled water that should be there. "I know you're not the type who hates alcohol, right? Just wait. If we mix a few things, there should be at least one that suits your taste."
As I crouched in front of the fridge and rummaged through it, another thought crossed my mind. Personally, I'd wanted to have a drinking session with Baek Seolah at some point, but more than that, today I wanted to use alcohol to draw out her true feelings. She seemed to be enjoying the date well enough, but I still didn't know why this date had started in the first place. 'I'm curious, after all.'
If possible, I wanted to pull out the sincerity Baek Seolah was hiding inside. "Ah, if you want to order late-night snacks too, just say so later……"
And just as I was about to add another word while holding two bottles of water in both hands—
Pop!
"……?"
At the sudden refreshing sound from behind, I blinked blankly. Until that moment, I'd turned around without much thought, wondering what she was doing. "Hey, you shouldn't drink that right now—"
But even as I said it, thinking it probably wasn't the case—
Gulp, gulp—
"……"
It was truly unfortunate. By the time I turned around, it was already too late. Baek Seolah, who I'd thought would only peek at the alcohol and carbonated water I'd bought, had opened the Absolut Vodka and tilted it vertically without giving me a chance to stop her. In other words, yeah. "……No, has this girl gone crazy. Hey, what are you doing!"
With a curious expression, she'd tilted the 700ml bottle and drunk it straight. Of course, it wasn't a quantity one could down in one shot, so she hadn't emptied it completely, but— "……Oh, ugh."
Even that much was already a problem. Baek Seolah furrowed her brows slightly in discomfort, probably feeling the heat from the liquid and realizing where her esophagus was located. I quickly approached and snatched the bottle from her, but what good would that do? It was literally locking the barn after the horse had bolted. With slightly dizzy eyes, Baek Seolah leaned her head against my chest. Thud!
"Ugh."
And she did it very thoroughly, as if unintentionally. Even though she was a girl, the weight of a person pressing directly against you when you're unprepared was considerable. I grimaced at the pain in my chest with a short groan. "……Ehehe, Han Taeyang?"
"……"
Before long, Baek Seolah, who had completely entrusted her body to me physically, peeked up at me. With eyes that seemed to be losing focus in a hazy way, she gave me a loose smile. I couldn't say anything—not even a sigh—due to sheer disbelief, and just stared at her with a dumbfounded expression. 'No, what the—'
No matter how much she'd treated 40-proof alcohol like a beverage, there were limits. There was no way the alcohol would kick in in less than a minute. This wasn't a cartoon— ……No way. She had to be joking. "Ehyaaam."
Watching Baek Seolah let out an adorable yawn while wrapping both arms around my waist like she was binding me, I slowly but surely began to break out in a cold sweat.