"Yes, I heard you were talking about money earlier..."
"Ah... Okay, I'll come out starting tomorrow."
Has the sound of a door clinking open ever felt this good? Even that sounds beautiful, and I hum a tune as I return to my hideout.
by_Yucha
***
“Where are you going? This late at night.”
“Right. Where are you going tonight, lady? It’s dangerous.”
“You’re fearless, just like your personality. That’s actually a good thing.”
Because I had a night shift, I threw on some clothes and was about to leave when everyone stared at me. Seungkwan and Yubin asked with worried eyes where I was going. Then, Beomgyu, still looking at his phone, chuckled and spoke. He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye and spoke as if he were going to pick a fight, but Yeoju didn't seem to mind.
"Convenience store part-time job. It's night time. I'll be back at 6."
“Oh, okay. Go quickly, and be careful.”
“Yeah. It’s the truth.. I’ve seen it so many times.”
The female protagonist smiled and spoke. Then, Yoon-gi appeared from somewhere and spoke. His eyes were elsewhere, but there was clearly a hint of worry in his voice. Jin-sang, I worked hard to earn money, but it didn't amount to much. This world was full of rich people, and there were many who would use their power to bring me down. That's why I saw Jin-sang so much, and that was my life.
**
“Oh, Miss Yeoju is here. Can you do that job well?”
“Yes, yes! Just leave it to me.”
“Okay. I’ll be over there for a bit. Okay, okay.”
As I opened the door and entered the convenience store, I saw a large man who appeared to be the owner. He looked at Yeoju, then looked her up and down. Then, with an incredulous look in his eyes, he spoke. Yeoju, forgetting his previous behavior, responded positively. The owner, still looking her over, left.
“..Why are you looking at me like that, it makes me feel bad.”
The female protagonist tried to act as if nothing had happened in front of the boss, but once he left and disappeared from sight, her expression hardened as if she had been waiting for him to do so, and she began to curse him. The female protagonist, who had always felt betrayed by her efforts under the boss's dismissive gaze, felt uneasy.
“Hello. Miss, give me a bottle of soju. Soju!”
“Sir, you seem drunk. You can get it yourself.”
And soon after, the convenience store door creaked open. A seemingly drunk man came in, stood at the counter, and spoke to the woman. The woman, with a serious expression, responded sarcastically to the man's commanding tone.
“What?! The customer told me to bring this! Hey, call the boss!!”
“Why are you doing this here? Don’t do this!”
The man's expression hardened, and he looked angry. Then, he grabbed a bottle of soju and started swinging it around. He must have been so angry that he was now breaking the bottle and going to the owner. The woman yelled at him to stop, but the drunk man had no effect.
“Hey! Hey, Miss! What are you doing over there?!”
Just then, the owner hurriedly opened the convenience store door and came running in. As soon as he entered, the situation calmed down, and I apologized to the man, ending the matter.
“No! That lady! What would I do if she did that to the customer?”
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry, sir.”
“Oh my, really..”
After the man left and the work was done, the boss became angry at the woman. She had no choice but to swallow her pride and bow her head in apology. Then the boss looked at her and sighed.
“As expected from a poor family, that’s how they are… tsk.”
And then the boss clicked his tongue and belittled the female protagonist. Those who were poor and broke were belittled again, hurt again, and crumbled again, yet they consoled themselves. That was the life of the poor. This world was all about power and money.
"I won't do it. I don't do this kind of dirty work. Just send me today's wages. I'll go."
And the heroine threw down her name tag and spoke. The boss stared at her, dumbfounded. True to her nature, the heroine glared at the boss and left. That was Yoon Yeo-ju, a poor but proud woman.