The Clingy Part-Timer
Ding.
As expected, not much had changed.
The harsh fluorescent lighting, the narrow aisles between the display shelves, the chill from the fresh-food section that hit you the moment you stepped through the door.
Behind the counter sat a familiar part-timer.
Her profile had looked a little sullen, but the instant her gaze landed on me her eyes went round and her whole face lit up.
…A pro. A professional part-timer.
Apparently facial management was part of the convenience-store job description.
From one earbud, Yu Nari’s voice kept pouring out in a steady stream.
“Do-yoon probably can’t hold his liquor, so let’s stick to the low-alcohol stuff for now. There’s this one called Iseul-pangpang that’s pretty light, you know? Or the foreign ones labeled ‘cider’ are supposed to taste good too. Check the back of the bottle—around five percent should be fine.”
“Snacks are non-negotiable. Drink on an empty stomach and you’ll die the next day. Two triangle kimbap. Cheese stuff would be good too.”
“…Yeah. Got it.”
I answered in a tiny voice.
The fear of looking like some guy muttering to himself inside a convenience store kept shrinking my volume.
I headed straight for the alcohol fridge.
Is this it? There’s a peach drawing on it, but… isn’t this just a drink? It doesn’t even look like booze.
Not wanting to stand there deliberating forever, I stacked bottles quickly while the snack guide continued through the earbud.
“Triangle kimbap has to be tuna mayo or Jeonju bibimbap. One of those two. No random grabs.”
“Okay.”
“Maybe I should’ve just gone to a convenience store and bought the exact same things myself.”
I was about to tell her she still could when—
“—It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Picking out drinks today?”
“Eek…?!”
The voice right behind me nearly sent me sprawling face-first.
A cold shiver raced down the back of my neck.
I turned only my head. The part-timer was standing one step away.
She had never once left the counter before, so I’d completely dropped my guard.
When did she even come out?
“…What? Who is it, Do-yoon? What’s that sound?”
Nari was saying something, but the sudden approach of the part-timer made it impossible to catch.
“Hahaha, why so startled? Drinks? Not buying any food today?”
“…Y-Yes. Yeah.”
“This one’s low-alcohol—great for beginners. Ah, that one’s a little sweet so it’s hit-or-miss. Personally I think the foreign stuff tastes better.”
The part-timer stepped closer and pointed at the shelves with one finger.
I instinctively widened the distance by a step and answered.
“…Ah. Yes. Thank you.”
If the time I’d spent actually facing people at Muse Family hadn’t been stacking up little by little, I might have frozen solid right there on the spot.
I forced my hammering heart to settle and somehow managed a reply.
The part-timer rattled off a few more recommendations, then bowed and returned to the counter.
“…Whew.”
A long breath slipped out.
“Do-yoon? Who was that? What happened?”
Only then did I pull the mic closer to my mouth.
“Nothing. The part-timer was recommending drinks.”
“Part-timer?”
“Yeah.”
“……Why would a part-timer…? Why is a convenience-store clerk that friendly?”
“I think she was just happy to see me after so long. It’s her every time I come.”
“Hmm…”
Are there really that few customers here?
How many times have I even visited this place?
She must have been bored out of her mind.
Yeah. That had to be it.
A strange unease prickled at me, so I hurried the bottles over to the register.
I prayed nothing else would happen, but—beep—beep—the part-timer scanning the barcodes stopped and smiled brightly.
“But why has it been so long since you came by?”
“…Ah. I’ve been a little busy.”
I answered stiffly.
“Eek. I see! No wonder!”
She giggled to herself, then held her open palm out toward me.
“If you’re buying alcohol, could I see some ID?”
“…Ah.”
Standard procedure.
Yet for some reason my hand hesitated the moment I reached for it.
It felt like there was another purpose.
I didn’t want to hand it over.
“……Is she really just a part-timer? Why does she feel so clingy?”
I was starting to share the same vague sense of wrongness.
Just finish the check and get out.
I pulled my ID from my pants pocket and offered it.
The part-timer accepted it with both hands and scrutinized the photo with uncomfortable thoroughness.
“…!”
Her eyes flew wide and she muttered,
“…I knew it.”
…?
“Customer, I need to confirm it’s the same person. Could you lower your mask for a second?”
The procedure itself was correct.
But her tone—
was strangely excited.
This feels weird.
After a beat of hesitation I gently tugged the mask down with one hand.
The part-timer’s eyes grew even rounder.
“…Ah.”
“…Wow.”
Soft exclamations spilled out one after another.
“Done?”
The stare gave me goosebumps; I yanked the mask back up at once.
“Ah…! Yes, yes. Confirmed.”
While the rest of the checkout finished, my fingers trembled.
I took the bag of bottles.
Now I could leave.
I turned to go, but the part-timer caught the edge of the bag and held on.
“Customer.”
“Yes?”
“Didn’t you miss me?”
“Huh? What?”
What the hell was she talking about.
“Hey! Do-yoon! What is it?”
I shook the bag, telling her to let go. She didn’t budge.
“Do-yoon-ssi, I get off in three hours. How about hanging around nearby until then… and having a drink with me?”
“……??”
“That crazy b…! You said you didn’t know her…? She seems like a total weirdo! Do-yoon, grab the bag and run!!”
In front of me the part-timer’s face was growing more and more flushed.
In one ear someone was shouting.
Being pulled from both sides only made the confusion worse.
“…I-I’m fine, thank you.”
I wrenched the entire bag free and stepped back from the counter.
Run. Once I’m outside it’s over.
I headed for the exit without a second thought.
“Aah! Wait a second! Do-yoon-ssi!”
—Rattle.
Just from the sound I knew she had come out from behind the counter.
How did she know my name well enough to call it?
Ah. She saw my ID.
Calling someone by name without even introducing yourself first? That wasn’t normal.
In more ways than one, this wasn’t right.
I tried to flee without looking back, but my legs felt heavy, like I was walking underwater.
I had never once imagined this kind of chase would happen in my life.
Was it fear?
I can’t put any strength into my body.
I gathered every scrap of power I had and forced one step after another—
Grab—
Before long one of my arms was yanked hard.
“Huff… huff… Customer, why are you running away like that? I’m just saying let’s grab a drink after I finish.”
“……”
I was taller and bigger.
Physically the difference should have been enough to shake her off easily, yet—
Unexpected contact with a woman neutralized everything.
I had only just started learning how to hold a conversation with other people again, slowly reclaiming the everyday life I’d lost.
Suddenly the situation had jumped dozens of steps ahead.
With no strength left in my arm I simply stood there, and the part-timer’s lips curled into a grin.
“Hehehe. Do you have a girlfriend?”
“……”
“Aw, I wanted to take it slow and hear a confession while we were flirting. Guess I have to go first!”
“……?”
“Want to date me? Do-yoon-ssi is totally my type.”
“……”
“Aren’t I pretty? It’s fine, right?”
My head was spinning, but I forced my mouth open.
“W-Why are you doing this? I don’t want to.”
“I take good care of myself too. I’ve saved up quite a bit. I can support you. Just bring your body, Do-yoon-ssi.”
As both of her hands tightened even harder around my right arm—
my vision blurred.
My heart hammered wildly against my ribs.
“——That bi—tch—— what the— Do-yoon—— I’ll go first—— wait——!”
I could faintly hear Nari pouring something out through the earbud, but I no longer had the mind left to understand it.
The world was harsh.
Nothing had changed from before or now.
Everything I had spent months gathering courage for was crumbling.
Ah. I should’ve just stayed in my room.
As the woman slowly closed the remaining distance and my legs began to tremble without being able to react—
“Can I touch your hand— Gyaaaaah―!!”
Thud――!
Before the part-timer’s sentence finished, something slammed into her side.
With a spectacular crash her body tumbled sideways, and the impact sent me down hard on my butt as well.
“……?!”
Someone’s shadow was already on top of the part-timer right in front of me.
“―You son of a biiiiitch!!”
A husky curse.
A voice that felt somehow familiar.
Still sitting where I’d fallen, I slowly looked up at that shadow’s face.
“Get your hands off my brother! You dog-like bitch!!”
“……”
“How the fuck did this piece of shit get outside, you goddamn bitch—die! Die! Dieee!!”
Right before my eyes one of the part-timer’s arms was being twisted mercilessly.
The person grabbing and wrenching that arm was—
……Gorilla.
No.
Seo-yun.
It was my little sister.
I blankly watched the fists she was swinging. As my mind slowly returned, I saw the part-timer’s arm about to bend in a completely wrong direction.
…!
“Hey! Seo-yun, wait!”
I scrambled up and hauled my sister off.
It looked like she was a second away from actually breaking the arm, so I poured every ounce of strength I had into it.
“Let go! Let go! You fucking bitch! I memorized your face!”
“W-Wait, calm down.”
Don’t women usually grab hair when they fight? Why was my little sister putting people in armbars?
The female part-timer who had taken a full body tackle followed by what looked like combat-sports techniques groaned and staggered to her feet, then glanced at me.
“What are you looking at—ptui! You bitch, if I see you on the street I’ll kill you. I said I’ll kill you―!”
“Eek!”
“C-Calm down, calm down, Seo-yun.”
If I let go, my sister really might become a murderer, so I held her tighter.
“I need to smash that fucking bitch’s head one more time! Let me go!”
Even I could see the madness in my sister’s eyes. Facing that look, the part-timer clutched her aching arm and stepped back.
“W-Who are you…? There seems to be a misunderstanding. I’m not a weird person—ouch. Ow. Why are you hitting people?”
“Bullshit. Getting hit by a high-schooler is something to brag about. Come here, I’ll smack your head a few more times, you stalker bitch.”
“H-Hic!”
As my sister thrashed threateningly trying to escape my arms, the part-timer flinched.
“And my brother already has a girlfriend, okay! Don’t hit on him!”
“What? Th-That…! There was no sign of that at all…”
She stared at me as if that fact hurt more than the beating.
“O-Today I was rude. I’ll always be waiting at our usual meeting place, so come anytime. Being a second is a little disappointing, but if it’s really hard to break up, two-timing――”
“I’ve never seen such a crazy bitch—you need more hits!”
My growling sister shot forward; the part-timer fled for her life.
Her legs seemed fine. She was surprisingly fast.
Having finished the extermination, my sister turned and toddled over to me.
Her unexpected appearance felt both unfamiliar and strangely reliable.
“O-Oppa, are you okay?”
Where had her usual infuriating attitude gone?
She was even tearing up a little.
“Let’s report that crazy bitch! Huh?”
“Wouldn’t you get arrested too then?”
I didn’t think reporting would lead to any special measures, and I couldn’t exactly send my sister to the police station for assault either.
“Let’s go home. I’m tired.”
“Y-Yeah yeah. Let’s go back home. I’ll support you.”
“Thanks. Ah—can you pick up my phone for me?”
I pointed to the smartphone that had gone flying into the corner during the chaos.