Episode 3: If You Do This Well, I Have Nothing to Say
Seeing her like this, I could understand why people say "kids these days." If you perform this well, I really have nothing to complain about.
Her bold question left my mind blank for a moment.
"Boss?"
I grabbed a disposable spoon prepared for the tteokbokki broth and lightly flicked her forehead.
"Ow." "You don't get it, do you?" "Was it too weird a question?" "At least you know that much."
The previous questions had all been reasonable curiosities before starting work here.
But that last one raised a ton of red flags.
"I thought since this place is more open than most, it was okay to ask." "Never imagined I'd hear 'Do you not like sex?' over tteokbokki."
Even if there were still things I didn't know about her, these moments were just utterly baffling.
"Munch munch... So good. This tteokbokki is delicious."
And this right here? Another baffling moment.
As if her question had been some joke, she ignored my response and focused entirely on the food.
She had this unpredictable streak, like she could bounce anywhere.
"Eat up." "Does the boss always make sure we eat during work?"
At 21, working as an illustrator, she probably had zero real-world experience.
Considering that, her comments weren't that incomprehensible.
Of course, the sex question was still way out there.
"Do well, and I'll buy you meals." "Got it, I'll work hard!" "Yeah, do that. I'll be watching today. By the way, no college?" "College? Nope. I'm a middle school dropout." "You dropped out of high school?"
In the middle of our chat, I noticed her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk.
The tteokbokki had visibly dwindled.
Had she shoveled it all in that quickly?
"Munch munch. Huh? Couldn't hear you, was eating." "Did you drop out of high school?" "Yesh. Munch munch. Gulp. Yeah, I did. To do what I wanted." "And what's that? Drawing?"
She nodded vigorously, then dunked half a boiled egg into the broth and popped it in her mouth.
"After turning twenty, I've mostly taken on adult illustration gigs." "I see." "Lately, I've been thinking of serializing an adult webtoon, so I'm gathering material like crazy." "Is that why you applied here? For material?"
Chae-ah wiped the tteokbokki sauce from her mouth with a wet wipe and nodded big.
"Yeah, nothing beats your own experiences as source material. Plus, there's a reason I wanted this job."
Wanting to do something and working hard for it? Worthy of respect.
And it wasn't just for material—she wasn't interviewing for kicks. As her boss, that satisfied me.
"Boss, can I have the other half of the egg?" "Yeah, go ahead." "Thank you!"
She kept showing that youthful charm unique to her age.
"Haa..."
I wanted to forget the earlier incident and start fresh, but it was too vivid to shake off easily.
"You eat well." "I hear that a lot." "Live with your parents?" "Can't collect adult toys if I do. I live alone."
The welcome meal for my new employee ended up as a live mukbang show.
"Chae-ah, put on a mask." "A mask?" "Yeah, customers spotting us outside isn't fun. We wear them at work." "Got it." "Put it on, then flip the sign." "Yes, boss."
She donned the mask I handed her, flipped the sign, and afternoon sales began—I could finally see her skills in action.
Of course, starting afternoon hours didn't mean customers flooded in right away.
Behavior during downtime was key too, so I watched her from the counter.
She scanned the whole store, checking sections I hadn't covered, restocking what looked low.
Even without customers, taking initiative like that? Highly impressive.
"Boss, if I do well today, buy me drinks after close?"
She finished her self-started tasks and tossed out the suggestion.
"A newbie eyeing after-work drinks on day one." "I wanna drink with you, boss." "Why?" "To learn more about what kind of person you are."
Brushing dust off her hands, Chae-ah winked with one eye.
What the hell was that? I just stared blankly for a second.
"Trying to seduce me?" "Would it work if I did?"
Youthful bravado, maybe.
"Nah, you're too young."
She was acting like the morning never happened, so I'd match that and forget it quick.
"Boss, I'm an adult too." "Seven years between us." "So what?"
*Ding!*
I decided not to overthink her antics—just let it slide.
Right then, a customer pushed through the door.
I signaled her with a glance to greet them.
"Welcome!" "Oh, new face?" "Started today." "I see." "What can I help you find?" "Boss, you finally hired help?" "Yeah, she'll handle everything today."
The familiar regular was puzzled by Chae-ah at first but got it with a quick explanation.
"Looking for anything specific?" "A Fairy. Mine broke, need a new one." "This way."
From the counter, I watched her handle the customer intently.
She recommended based on the description, then mentioned other price points.
Even emphasizing upsell perks like "a bit pricier but with these advantages"—for a first-timer, she was way too smooth.
Her fluent pitch convinced the customer to go for the higher-end one.
"Thank you! Come again."
After seeing them off, Chae-ah dashed over, leaning in close.
"How was that, boss? I did great, right?" "Yeah, you did. Doesn't seem like your first time." "Thanks for the praise!" "Sales is totally new to you?" "Yep, first time. It's so fun!"
Her first customer had been outgoing, so I needed to see more.
Adult toy shop patrons vary wildly, after all.
"Welcome." "Uh... h-hi..."
The next one, a bit later, was super shy.
The type that gave me hell when I first opened—embarrassed just to be buying toys.
Push too hard, they bolt; match the vibe, you get vague answers.
Approaching these customers first is poison.
Did Chae-ah know that? She ignored them completely.
No eye contact either.
Acted like they didn't exist from the start.
"Not bad."
First day, young age, nailing these details? Tough stuff.
Her work kept earning high marks from me.
"Um... excuse me." "Yes, ma'am?" "I... this is my f-first time here, so... c-could you r-recommend something...?" "Of course, ma'am. Happy to."
Even when they wanted recs, she kept it low-key, matching the mood.
Thanks to that, the shy customer left satisfied with a purchase.
After they left, she approached with puppy-dog eyes begging for praise.
"Boss!" "Yeah, good job. Didn't expect this level." "Hehe, praise from the boss."
Grinning like an idiot, she tilted her head toward me.
"Pet me." "Pet you?" "Yeah, getting praised and petted by a pretty girl is always the best." "Am I a pretty girl?" "If you're not, who is?"
Bold as hell, but those sparkling eyes were kinda cute.
"Pet you, and you'll work harder?" "Yep, massive motivation—I'll go wabapak!" "Fine, then."
Her cute sound effect made me chuckle unwittingly as I stroked her hair.
"Ah... a beauty's touch is always top-tier."
The way she said it casually reminded me of my early twenties.
Back when I'd chase any pretty girl just to get close.
"Boss, got a girlfriend?" "Nope."
Straight answer to her question.
"Really? Good."
She pulled down her mask a bit, lips curving into a smile.
Seemed thrilled I was single.
After our time together, it might feel sudden, but I wasn't buying it.
Some people go aggressive just 'cause the face is their type.
"I don't date employees." "I didn't say anything." "Your face said it all." "Busted. Boss, you're too pretty—totally my type." "Uh-huh."
Showing interest was her call; didn't bother me.
Probably helped that her skills were so damn good.
Post-break sales continued; every sporadic customer got handled by Chae-ah.
All left happy with purchases.
Too pro for a newbie—she must really want this job, I was starting to believe it.
"Chae-ah, good work." "All done?" "Yeah, sales over for today."
As I announced closing and removed my mask, she zipped over, face inches away.
"So, boss? Good enough for those drinks?"
She'd been holding onto that promise all day.
"Yeah, you earned 'em. Let's go." "Yay! Getting ready now!"
With an excited squeal, she bolted to the staff room for shutdown prep.
Super promising employee—might as well use this chance to get to know her properly.